


All the things we said

by 1337wtfomgbby



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Idiots in Love, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Rating Might Change, Tags May Change, alternate everything, fictober20, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:36:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 24,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26755918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1337wtfomgbby/pseuds/1337wtfomgbby
Summary: My addition to fictober 2020.
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | Echo/CT-782 | Hevy, CT-27-5555 | Fives/ CT-6116 | Kix, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Hardcase/CT-6116 | Kix
Comments: 14
Kudos: 20
Collections: Fictober20





	1. "no, come back"

**Author's Note:**

> This time I'm not only writing Kixcase, but also Fiveskix and Hecho; in that order.  
> You'll get ten chapters of each (isn't math beautiful?), and the last one will be whatever strikes my fancy at that moment.  
> Enjoy :D

„No, come back,“ Rose croaked, voice barely above a faint whisper. But of course the sailors in the lifeboat couldn't hear her voice.  
„Come back,“ she continued to call, still unable to raise her voice.  
Seeing no other option she did decide to let go of Jack, promising him that she would never let go before she plunged herself into the ice cold water to retreave the officers whistle, paying no attention to the fact that the officer had died and was merely a solidly frozen corpse.

„Holy shit, she's gonna make it,“ Hardcase breathed as Lowe called for the men in his boat to, „Come about!“ and the beam of his flashlight illuminated Rose's face, who was still furiously blowing the whistle pressed to her lips.  
„Well, duh,“ Fives huffed, „otherwise how would she be telling them the story in the future.“

Hardcase didn't seemed to have listened to him though, he was way too focused on the tv.  
But Fives still got a slap to the back of his head from Rex, who jutted his head in Ahsoka's direction, who was also watching the movie with avid interest.  
So far three of them had fallen asleep. Tup because he had already seen the movie three times, Echo who had been utterly exhausted from studying for a upcoming exam, and Kix who had just come off a ten hour shift on the ambulance.  
All three of them had also ended up in a pile on the floor somehow.

Ten more minutes and the movie was almost over. Rose had thrown the necklace into the ocean and then layed down in her bed and passed away.  
Rex couldn't help but exhale a big breath as he noticed that the movie was drawing to a close.  
The music swelled one last time as Rose ascended the stairs to be reunited with Jack.  
„I think it's finally over,“ he mumbled to Cody, who hissed at him to quiet down.  
His friend suspiciously had just as wet eyes as Ahsoka and was clutching a pillow to his chest.  
„Shhh. I'm trying to watch.“

Exhaling another longsuffering sigh Rex waited until the credits started rolling, and then three more minutes before he deemed it safe enough to turn on the lights.  
Tup grumbled about it being way to bright, while Kix was already rubbing at his eyes as Hardcase seemed to have woken him up already, just as Hevy was now cautiously doing with Echo.

„I think you are way past your bedtime,“ Fives commented with a lopsided grin as Echo struggled to keep his eyes open for an extended amount of time.  
Echo glared at him but didn't say anything else as he allowed Hevy to pull him to his feet, and then in the direction of his dorm room.  
Dogma tried to do the same thing with Tup but ultimately needed the help of Denal, as Tup was being as uncooperative as a wet sack of potatoes.

„You know, I really liked that one,“ Cody said once the rest of them filed out of the common room, heading back to their respective dorms.  
„Me too,“ Ahsoka agreed, „Really sweet story and not too heavy handed.“  
„Also not that historically inaccurate,“ Jesse added from behind them. 

„Who do you think we would be?“ Rex heard Hardcase ask Kix, the two of them walking a few feet in front of their group, „between Rose and Jack, you know.“  
„I don't know, 'case,“ Kix said, rubbing at his eyes, „I kinda thought of Ahsoka and Rex as Rose and Jack.“  
„Oh nice, so I'll freeze to death,“ Rex grumbled, „Not that I wouldn't do that for you,“ he quickly added, turned at Ahsoka, „But still.“

„Wait, Jack dies?!“ Kix asked, turning to look at him with a confused gaze, „I must've fallen asleep before that.“  
„Yep,“ Fives chuckled, clapping a hand down onto Kix' back, „I think you didn't even see titanic hitting the iceberg.“  
Kix frowned. „You know, now that you mention it...“  
Hardcase chuckled at that. „You really wanna sleep, eh?“ he asked, laying his arm around Kix' waist.  
„Yes!“ the EMT huffed exhausted, while leaning against Hardcase's side for support, „I can't believe we still need to drive to my apartment, this sucks.“  
„I'll drive,“ Hardcase said quickly, holding out his hand so that Kix would hand him his car keys, who didn't even seemed worried about Hardcase crashing his beloved Camaro.

„You know, thinking about it,“ Jesse rambled once they stood in the cold air on the parking lot, „Hardcase and Kix I could only imagine as a rich kid and a sailor, or something.“  
„Aha,“ Fives hummed, not seeming that interested at all in what Jesse was talking about.  
„Yeah, like Hardcase is a rich kid who's mother wants to marry him off to some rich girl, but he is in fact gay and not interested at all,“ Jesse said, climbing into the car after Fives, „And his fiancée is Ahsoka, and she doesn't want that marriage because she is in love with Rex. Oh oh oh, but Ahsoka's mom doesn't want her to marry Rex because he is new money.“

The whole way back to Kix' apartment complex Jesse went on and on about the little story he was spinning.  
How Hardcase would meet Kix, who went from a sailor to a junior officer, and how the four of them came up with the plan of Ahsoka blowing off the marriage and eloping with Rex, while Hardcase would run away to Paris with Kix.  
„Rex and Ahsoka would survive the sinking,“ Jesse said, as Hardcase stopped the car in front of their building, shaking Kix awake carefully, „but one of you two would have to die. Otherwise where is the drama?“

„Thanks Jesse,“ Hardcase said, shaking his head in amusement.  
„And not to sound harsh or anything but I'd really like to kill you off,“ Jesse said, „not because I dislike you anything but it would be a nice spin to the story to have the rich guy die.“  
„Do whatever you want, I won't stop you,“ Hardcase said easily, waving his hand dismissively.

„You could actually really use that for your creative writing class,“ Fives noticed once they made it up onto Kix and Hardcase's floor.  
Jesse, who was furiously typing on his phone, groaned and rolled his eyes. „What do you think I am writing on here, you numbskull.“  
„Good night you two,“ Hardcase called, and Jesse waved a hand at him in goodbye as Fives steered him up the stairs.

Finally inside their apartment Hardcase steered Kix straight into the bedroom, not even doing a detour for the bathroom, as Kix would much rather choke on his toothbrush than actually brush his teeth.  
„Sorry that I fell asleep,“ Kix yawned, while taking off his shirt, „we can rent the movie again next week if you want to.“  
„It's no big deal,“ Hardcase dismissed, while taking off his clothes as well, „You just go to sleep now and worry about that tomorrow.“  
Kix flopped down onto his back, instantly making grabby hands at Hardcase, who chuckled at his boyfriend being so tired that he behaved like a toddler.

„Did I ever tell you that I love how hot you are in the fall?“ Kix cuddled close to him immediately once Hardcase layed down next to him and the blankets were cocooning them in.  
„A few times,“ Hardcase grinned with his chin atop of Kix' head.  
There was a beat of silence between them and as Hardcase spoke again he was sure Kix wouldn't even hear him, as the EMT's breathing had evened out and was all deep and calm.  
„You are still the Rose to my Jack,“ he hummed against Kix' shoulder.  
A moment of silence then Kix hummed contently. „I would be smoking hot as a chick.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want a full fic about the titanic story that Jesse is talking about read chapters 35 and 36 of my fic "As good as it gets", I've already written that one.


	2. "that's the easy part"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fives has a special thing he likes to do when he gets especially bored ;)

And here Kix had thought that keeping Hardcase occupied was a hard task, but no Fives was even worse.  
Hardcase you could keep busy by giving him ideas for new sketches or challenging him to a game of Meshgeroya. Sometimes you would be roped into planning some prank with him, but that also gave you the perfect opportunity to stall that prank and keep the peace and quiet around torent.  
Fives on the other hand was a whole other type of beast as Kix came to notice, because his boredom showed in ways that he was just not used to.

Jesse would start reading or write some poetry, Echo and Dogma would also read, Tup was easiest to coax into a game of Meshgeroya out of all of them, just as the captain. Rex also seemed to not bore that easily.  
Denal would often times head off and collect a few fellow trooper for a game of cards, and Kix' fellow medics would either catch up on some much needed sleep or watch something mundane on holonet. They all tried to keep it quiet but everyone knew that they especially loved 'Real Housewifes of Malastare'.

„No, it's not interesting enough,“ Fives huffed, arms crossed in front of his chest and gaze trained on the holo.  
„I thought you liked those gore fests,“ Kix said absendminded. He wasn't paying that much attention to the holo, as he had watched 'hostel' four times by now.  
„I do,“ Fives grumbled, „I liked the first one, but this one... I don't know. It's just too boring.“

Kix nodded, browsing through the pad that showed the program of the different channels.  
„How about that documentary about those cartel wars on Nar Shaddaa?“  
Fives shook his head. „I don't really feel like it.“  
His hand was suddenly on Kix' thigh and that should have been his first warning. But Kix was still browsing through the program and hadn't quite gotten a handle on when Fives' boredom had reached it's limit. 

With Hardcase and Jesse it was easy for him to tell. Hardcase would get extremely anxious and bounce his leg, and Jesse would talk excessively, but with Fives Kix hadn't been involved with him enough to know when he had reached his limit. 

He had noticed that Fives tended to get handsy when he had reached his limit, and was even quicker to suggest getting them into a vacant supplie closet than usual.  
„You know, I've been thinking,“ Fives started, voice having turned into a deep rumble and, okay his hand's going places now, message received.  
Kix flinched slightly at the confident touch of Fives' hand and closed his eyes for a second.  
_Just take a deep breath and focus_ , he thought, _you can handle this_.  
„What have you been thinking?“ Kix asked, not taking his eyes off the holonet program and pretending he hadn't noticed where Fives' hand was.  
But it was to no use. Fives' broad grin told him that the other trooper had felt him flinch and that he knew that Kix knew.

„Naw, don't play coy,“ he said while crowding Kix back against the couch.  
Fives was bulkier than him and in some regards stronger, which the younger now used to pin Kix back against the cushions.  
„Why do you think I'd be playing coy?“ Kix asked, struggling to place the datapad onto the nearby table and not having it crash onto the floor.  
Once it was safely deposited Fives took a hold of his shoulders and really pinned him down.  
Kix stared up at him, snorting at the broad grin on Fives' face and the glint to his eyes.

„Well, what should we do next?“ Kix asked, as Fives just stayed in his position, staring down at him with a grin so broad that he looked like a cat that was watching a fish in a tank.  
„That's the easy part,“ Fives hummed, slowly leaning down to him.  
„Force, why did I agree to this?“ Kix grumbled, shifting his weight and testing Fives' hold on his shoulders; he thought he could break it.

„Hm, I don't know,“ Fives hummed, nuzzling his neck, „I think you kinda like me.“  
Kix shivered as the words spoken by Fives tickled his skin, and the grin that he felt pressed against his neck made his insides heat up.  
„Somebody could walk in,“ Kix hissed, but that only made the grin on Fives' face widen.  
„Come on, I know you like the thrill of it,“ he purred, starting to mouth at his neck.  
And alright fine, admittedly, Fives knew exactly which buttons he needed to push with Kix to get him to agree to his depraved plans. And if it had been any other day of the week Kix would've just agreed and dealed with Fives' boredom that way. But like this, Fives had been especially bored the last couple of days so Kix wasn't particularly thrilled at being Fives' one stop solution to his hard on problems.

No sooner thought than done, Kix rolled himself sideways and they both went tumbling off the couch, Kix ending up on top.  
Fives' looked up at him with an expression of owlish confusion, cleerly not having counted on that. But Fives had also always been good at rolling with the punches, and Kix had to utilize all of his agility and quick thinking to keep the other trooper pinned under him.  
„You know,“ he huffed, grinning down at Fives smugly, who was panting harshly as well from the effort it took him to try and pin Kix under him, „that does sound fun and all but,“ he leaned down close so that he'd be able to murmur into Fives' ear, „the only way you're getting off, is when you don't make a single sound.“


	3. "you did this?"

Before Echo had to listen to his batch mates blabber on about how he repeated orders too much or how he was taken out of his retort too late he decided to leave the rec room and find some other place to read.   
Bad enough that they wouldn't stop calling him 'Echo'. Not that he didn't appreciate being given a name but it kinda dampened his mood a bit that his name originated from his batch mates making fun of him.  
He also didn't really feel like listening to Cutup prattle on about the latest trooper he managed to charm.

He had just gotten back to the barracks and was about to head to his bunk when somebody tapped him on the shoulder.  
„Echo.“  
„Force, would you stop it,“ Echo snapped without even meaning to. He had gotten so used to snapping at his batch mates when they called him 'Echo' that it kinda became reflex.

When he turned around and saw 782 he didn't really feel that bad about snapping at the other.  
After all, it had been him and Cutup that had started calling him Echo in the first place.  
„What is it, 782?“ Echo asked with a huff, leaning against the wall.  
In answer 782 slipped something into Echo's hand, so quickly that Echo didn't even get a good look at it.   
He opened his hand to look at it and was surprised to find a little figure in his hand. It was obviously made out of scrap metal, and appeared to be a small depiction of a cat.

Echo was so surprised that he could do nothing but stare down at the figure in his hand for quite some time. When he finally looked up it was to gape at 782, and he breathed, „You made this?“  
782 nodded.  
„Why?“  
„As kind of a apology for the whole 'Echo' thing,“ 782 shrugged.

Again Echo was left utterly perplexed. He had always viewed 782 as the sort of trooper that was utterly unapologetic. Now being confronted by this different side of 782 was surprising and Echo had half a mind of just brushing the whole thing off. But 782 wasn't the only one that could be bullheaded and petty at times.

„Well,“ Echo snorted, „maybe you should've noticed that sooner.“  
He balled his fist and felt the metal of the little cat figure dig into his palm.  
But 782 had always been able to read him like a open book, a fact that Echo deeply detested.   
„Would you prefer I'd call you Pelira instead,“ he grinned.  
Echo rolled his eyes. No he would not. Bad enough that his name had come from 782 of all people but what kind of a name was 'Pelira'? It didn't sound fitting at all.

„You know what, forget it,“ Echo said, waving his hand about to stop 782 from coming up with any further names.   
He raised his hand up to his face so he could have a closer look at the small metal cat in his palm.  
„Why even a cat?“ he asked after a moment of silence.  
782's grin was blinding. „They're just like you. You both can be calm and docile, but you also have a big mouth with a row of sharp and pointy teeth. And don't get me started on your tongue. If you'd just used that one for something more fun.“  
That had earned 782 a slap to the back of the head, but he had only laughed at that.

Hard to believe that that had only happened a few months ago.   
782 had gone from his designation to a name, Hevy, within the following weeks and they had finally managed to finish the damn citadell and been carded of to one of the Rishi moons.  
Then everything escalated and the ones still alive were Echo and Fives.   
Well, there was something else that was still there.

Echo hadn't even thought about the small metal cat in his belt pocket after Hevy had given it to him on Kamino.  
The first time he saw it again was two months after he and Fives had settled into torent.   
Echo had rummaged around his belt after Kix had asked him if he had any spare morphine, and the only thing that he managed to dig up were antibiotics and the damn metal cat.

„What you got there?“ Hardcase had asked immediately once he had noticed what Echo was staring at.   
„Just some metal figure my batch mate gave to me,“ Echo said, and couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the small cat again.   
_„Big mouth and a row of sharp and pointy teeth,“_ Hevy had said.  
„He said he was sorry for how he gave me my name.“  
„What's wrong with 'Echo'?“ Denal asked, leaning over Hardcase's back to also look at the metal cat.

„Well, I used to repeat our instructors orders,“ Echo explained. He rolled his eyes as he remembered his time in training and how his batch mates were a band of childish idiots, „as if it's my fault that those laserbrains weren't listening most of the time,“ he grumbled.  
There was a picture of Hevy in front of Echo's inner eye and he remembered his grin as he asked, _„Would you prefer I'd call you Pelira instead.“_  
Echo chuckled. „He actually asked me if I'd prefered it if he called me 'Pelira'.“

It was noticable because Hardcase usually wouldn't shut his freking mouth, so as he fell silent now Echo frowned and looked up at the older trooper.  
„Do you know what that means? Pelira,“ he asked.  
Echo shook his head, he had honestly never thought about the possibillity that that word could have a meaning.   
Hardcase threw a quick glance back at Denal, who was still leaning over his shoulder, apparently very interested in what that word meant now.  
„It means 'Love' in zabrak.“

For a moment the world seemed to stand still, and Echo knew he must be looking uttterly stupid as he stared back at Hardcase.  
„What?“ he heard himself say, though it sounded more like huffing out a big breath of air.  
Hardcase nodded decisively. „I know because that's what Kix keeps calling me.“

There should have been a damn hole that opened up below him and swallowed him whole.  
Hevy and calling him 'love'?  
There was never any damn indication for that. Hevy was a neusance and at times even a damn manace, he was a thorn in his side on the bad days and a headache on the good ones, and still he had called him love.  
He had made him this damn cat, and as Echo remembered Hevy's exact words he would've liked to facepalm himself out of existance.

_„They're just like you. You both can be calm and docile, but you also have a big mouth with a row of sharp and pointy teeth. And don't get me started on your tongue. If you'd just used that one for something more fun.“_


	4. "that didn't stop you before"

„Hardcase,“ Rex huffed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose, „We really need to have a talk about your professionalism.“  
„Ohohoho,“ Hardcase laughed, „those are some brave ass words, from someone standing in lava.“  
Rex looked up at Hardcase, who was hanging from the rafters in full armor, during a game of 'the floor is lava' that he was playing, apparently, with himself.   
Otherwise Jesse, Echo and Fives weren't doing that good of a job keeping out of the lava themselfes. Kix being the only one that hadn't burned in the lava, but that only because he was sitting atop of a crate.

„Would you please get down from there?“ Rex said, trying out being nice to Hardcase instead of ordering him around, which was not working.  
But the jester only shook his head petulantly, and moved a feet further along the rafters.  
Rex rubbed his forehead even harder at that until somebody finally decided to help him.  
„Hardcase, would you get down from there?“ Kix asked all calmly, as if he was asking Hardcase to hand him some caf and not as if he was asking Hardcase to stop his shenanigans.  
And against everything Rex had learned about Hardcase, he listened to what Kix was saying. 

Dumbstruck Rex watched Hardcase climb down from the rafters and get back onto the ground.   
„Fine. But it's your fault I'm burning now,“ he grumbled, while walking over to Kix.  
Kix only shrugged at that before getting off his crate himself. „Come on, I think I know something that'll keep you occupied.“  
And with that being said he motioned for Hardcase to follow him and they both left the hangar.

„Since when does he listen to Kix?“ Rex found himself ask astonished.   
Jesse shrugged, seemingly unphased by this new development. „Gradually,“ he supplied.  
Rex nodded to himself, still not quite believing that someone finally managed to put a lid onto the dumpster fire that was their jester.  
Ever since Kix had joined torent, after his former companie 'xona' got disbanded, it was as if Hardcase was hanging off of him.   
At first Rex had thought it to be simple infatuation, Kix was over half a year older than Hardcase, even older than Rex himself, so he had assumed it to be a puppy crush of sorts.   
But that didn't seem to be the case.

Especially as he saw two weeks later how Hardcase managed to get Kix out of the infirmary.   
Right on the time that Kix was supposed to clock out, which was a freking rare occurance. If he was being honest Rex couldn't remember a time when Kix had gotten off duty or out of the infirmary on time.   
But Hardcase seemed to manage the impossible.

Rex had needed to stay over night due to a nasty concussion, mandated by Kix and to be upheld by Zulu after Rex had tried to sneak off twice.   
Hardcase had showed up exactly ten minutes before Kix was supposed to clock out and made a point out of following Kix around and essentially bullied him into handing off his remaining duties to Baldria.  
„He is supposed to clock out,“ he had sternly told a medic from 212th, Spina Rex thought, who looked at Kix in utter bewilderment.   
„That never stopped you before!“ he said, shaking his head in disbelieve as Kix shrugged his shoulders.

„Can't believe he is going soft,“ Spina mumbled as they watched Hardcase herd Kix out of the infirmary.  
It took a moment for what Spina had said to sink in but when it finally did Rex was left sitting there and staring at the other trooper as if he had just sprouted a second set of arms from his stomach.   
„Going soft,“ he found himself say. 

„Yeah,“ Spina chuckled to himself, „at first I thought he was just smitten with him. But that's totally not what this is. I've never seen him listen to anybody when it comes to his duties. He's not freking smitten, he's in love.“

Which, yeah point taken, Rex could see what Spina was talking about, as he found the two of them later that night sitting in front of the holo and watching some cooking show with a rude as all hells chef.   
„My gran could cook better,“ the chef yelled at a contestant and Kix huffed a small laugh under his breath. He was laying on the old tatty couch of the rec room, leaned back against Hardcase, who was sitting against the armrest and massaging the medics shoulders.

„So, you two, huh?“ Rex said, once he sat down on the old armchair next to the couch.   
Kix and Hardcase looked confused at first, but then seemed to get what he was asking.   
Kix smiled to himself and nodded, while Hardcase turned red. 

„Just don't blabb it around,“ Kix said, turning his attention back to the holo where the chef was yelling for some sauce, „I don't want everybody to run their mouths.“  
„No worries,“ Rex said offhanded, settling in to also watch the show -he really wanted to know what those cooks were doing to have the chef this mad- „only one I know that also knows is Spina.“

If they were in a tv show now would be the time for that infamous record-scratch noise.  
Kix stared at him with a look of abject horror and Hardcase's mouth was standing open.  
„Please tell me I just misheard,“ Kix pleaded, but Rex had to shake his head.  
And upon seeing how Hardcase threw his hands over his eyes and Kix facepalmed he hurried to say, „But he isn't that big of a gossip. Or is he?“  
Kix and Hardcase's looks told him everything, and sure thing by the next day everyone around 501st and 212th knew that Hardcase and Kix were an item.


	5. "unacceptable, try again"

„Unnacceptable, try again,“ Rex barked as Fives tapped out again.  
They had been at it for about half an hour now and Fives just didn't seem able to beat his last opponent. Even now with his additional Alpha-ARC training he didn't seem able to get a handle on Kix. 

The medic kept evading him, dancing around him with a speed and agility that Fives seemed unable to match. As soon as he saw the smallest opening Kix would strike as merciless as a snake, and Fives would wind up on the mats.   
Even downed Fives would sometimes manage to regain the upper hand, but only for a moment.   
For some reason Kix was completely unrelenting and wasn't willing to give Fives even a single inch. 

Winded after another well placed kick Fives stumbled back a few steps before another kick landed him on his back. The kick was so strong that all air rushed from Fives' lungs and for a moment he was way too dazed to even think.   
That moment was all Kix needed to get his knee onto his throat and press down.   
Fives tapped out again. 

„If I didn't knew any better,“ Fives gasped as Kix held out his hand to him and pulled him back to his feet, „I would say you aren't even a medic.“  
Kix shrugged and snorted, „My instructor sometimes got a bit ahead of himself.“  
Fives nodded, thought that explanation didn't quite convince him. Sure they all learned a bit of everything but they all got specialised training for a reason too.   
The fighting stile Kix was using was unlike anything Fives had ever seen used by a medic.

„Were you not supposed to be a medic?“ he asked, and Kix shook his head.  
„No,“ he said amused, „half my batch was supposed to be medics and the other half was supposed to be commanders.“  
Fives nodded thoughtfully. „Who was your instructor?“ he asked after a moment consideration.  
„Does it matter?“ Kix chuckled, extending a hand to ruffle it through his hair, „You just can't handle the fact that you couldn't beat me.“

Fives growled in open amusement and tried getting Kix into a head lock, which the medic managed to twist his way out of. He got a hold of Fives' ear and pulled until Fives was wincing in pain and begging for him to let go.   
„Sometimes I get the feeling this is a kindergarten,“ Kix grinned, letting go of his ear.  
That was the end of their training exercise, Rex decided that it was enough for the day and they both headed to the freshers to get changed.

Fives didn't ask about Kix' instructor again, sensing that the medic didn't really want to talk about it. But his interest had been spiked and so he decided to ask Resol about it.   
Kix' batch mate however seemed to be just as shuttered about it as Kix himself.  
„I don't know, I don't really remember,“ he said way too quickly before heading off to help Baldria with something. Even though the shiny seemed extremely confused why Resol would want to supervise him placing an IV.

„I just don't get why he won't tell me,“ Fives said, after he had told Jesse about it, „Did he tell you anything?“  
„No,“ Jesse said, „but then again I haven't ever seen him fight like he did with you.“  
Now that wouldn't go into his head at all. Kix was closest with Jesse and Hardcase, as far as Fives could tell those three knew essentially everything about each other. So why were Kix and Resol making that big of a mystery about their instructor?

It wasn't hard to get Kix' personal files but it didn't really give Fives the closure that he had wanted.   
Flavis Endorf and Unda Hardin were listed as instructor, but Fives frowned at the next line.   
_'+ additional'_ it read.  
Thinking that it must be their medical instructor Fives checked Resol's file as well and found the same listing. But the same was also listed for his other batch mates Silio, Konch and Cody.  
And first, he didn't even knew that Kix and Cody were batch mates, and second, they all got basic medical training, sure, but Fives also knew that the medics had a specific medical instructor.  
Hardin turned out to be just that, meaning Endorf was their primary instructor. But what was the '+ additional'?

Fives just rubbed his forehead tiredly as he felt the sharp prick of a needle at his neck.   
Instantly feeling whoozy Fives swayed slightly, turning his head to get a fuzzy look at Kix who was standing behind him.  
„Why do you always have to dig deeper?“ Kix' voice asked, sounding all far away and muted.   
Fives had only a moment to frown at Kix before whatever the medic had injected him made him pass out cold. 

Fives didn't knew how long he'd been out for but when he finally came to Fives found himself in his own bunk bed, in his body suit and generally as if he had just went to bed the last night.   
His neck still hurt but when he asked Echo if there was anything on the back of his neck his batch mate shook his head, leading Fives to assume that he had just slept wrong.   
But did he even sleep?

What about the files he'd been shuffling through last night?  
What about the stuff Kix had injected him?  
Why had Kix even done that in the first place?   
And why did he say that about him always digging too deep?

But as he confronted Kix about it the medic only frowned at him, saying that he had been on night shift the night prior. Zulu confirmed this, as did the doctor that had been on call.  
At this point Fives was already questioning his sanity, but as he then checked the files he had read he was shocked again. It no longer said '+ additional', if it had ever said that at all.

„Don't mind me asking, but what's all this about?“ Kix asked as they were having a little tryst in stowage.  
Fives rubbed his eyes. „I don't know, I had a really lucid dream a few days ago,“ he mumbled.  
Kix nodded silently and resumed the comforting circles his hands were rubbing into Fives' shoulders. 

„And what about?“ he asked, leaning his chin onto Fives' shoulder and mumbeling the question into his skin.  
„I don't know, I think I was just really hung up on your instructor,“ Fives snorted amused, „I dreamed that you injected me with something. I really don't know.“  
Kix hummed under his breath, shuffling closer. „I would never do that,“ he said quietly, and Fives felt his hackles raise. For some reason he didn't quite trust what Kix was saying, but brushed it off as him still being hung up on that force forsaken dream.

„Maybe you shouldn't drink as much caf before bed,“ Kix said after they were done, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.  
Fives snorted, „You are one to talk.“  
Kix rolled his eyes and grinned as he kissed him again. „Or maybe you should get to bed a bit earlier.“ He gave him a wink and snorted as Fives said that he couldn't talk about that either.   
„I am on call every other day,“ he chuckled, „just like I am tonight. I am off, okay.“  
They shared another kiss than Kix went off down the hall.   
„Oh, before I forget it,“ he called as he was a few feet away, turning back towards him, „Endorf and Hardin. Resol remembered.“ With that being said he was gone, and Fives still couldn't help but wonder if he had actually dreamed the whole thing.

„Did it work,“ a voice asked as soon as Kix made it throught the doors of the medbay.  
He rolled his eyes and motioned for Cody to follow him into the small office that they used for scheduling and stuff.  
„He still thinks he dreamed the whole thing, yes,“ Kix said clipped once the doors had closed behind them, „I think I could convince him that he just fell asleep during his research.“  
Cody nodded and after a moment Kix asked, „Do they know why it said + additional in our files?“

Cody huffed a big breath, hands going to the back of his head for a moment. „Devrev and Chin'so have no idea. They are doing a overhall of all operative files and are removing it. Best guess, it was added by the kaminoans.“  
A big sigh and a rubbing over his head later, Kix looked back at his batch mate. „That was kriffing close,“ he said, „hadn't you called me when you did I am pretty sure Berserc would've gotten his hands on Fives.“

„Maybe that would've been for the best,“ Cody said quietly and shrunk under Kix' glare.  
„I would never say that about Rex,“ he hissed.  
Cody shook his head, „Yes, you would,“ he said, „otherwise what are we even alektos for?“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rex is being the FitnessGram PACER test for absolutely no reason at all. Except that he can and he is bored.
> 
> Little Alekto snippet here.   
> Kix' additional instructor was a member of the zeta kait, a cartel that's working with the alekto program as well as the CIS. And even though they know that the republic and jedi council aren't that good at making connections they do not want to run the risk of them finding out.  
> Devrev and Chin'so head the branches of intel and security of the program respectively, while Berserc has command of assassination.


	6. "that was impressive"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What if Echo and Hevy both didn't have their moment of clarity but instead managed to resolve everything a bit differently.

„Well, that was impressive,“ Echo snorted as the exercise ended. But not with all of them reaching the finish, no 782 had decided to go rogue again.   
They were in for a lecture by Bric for sure. Why the frek couldn't 782 wait up on them and maybe help the rest of the team to reach the finish as a whole.

As soon as 782 processed what he had said his brows narrowed.  
Fives rubbed his forehead, while Droidbait facepalmed and 4040 threw his hands into the air. Just as devisive as they were as a squad overall, just as unanimous were they in agreeement that Echo and 782 just couldn't stop being at each others throats.  
Echo went on to yell that 782 should be a better team player and how he endangered the whole squad with his solo runs.

When 782 finally got a word in to defend himself, yelling that he'd taken over command because the team as a whole was inept, they all thought Echo would lay him flat.   
It had escalated between them before, Echo had clenched his fists and gotten into 782's space and 782 had gotten violent on more then one occasion, and they all had been sure this would've been the next time; but Fives had stepped in between them before either of them could throw any punches.

„Knock it off, both of you,“ he said sternly.  
„He is right,“ Echo said begrudgingly, „this doesn't solve anything.“  
„Would you repeat that,“ 782 said mockingly, seemingly unwilling to drop it, „I didn't hear you before.“  
Echo looked positively murderous but before their squabble could go on Droidbait exclaimed, „By the force, you two really need to bone.“

Silence, then 782 and Echo exclaimed in unison. „Bone!?“  
Fives looked mortified and 4040 buried his face in his hands, groaning, „don't say it again,“ but Droidbait didn't seem detered by the reaction of his fellow domino trooper.   
„I said,“ he said calmly, „if I didn't knew better I'd say you two really need to bone.“  
Another bout of silence then Echo roared, „How dare you, Droidbait. I am older than you!“  
„Psh,“ Droidbait snorted, „older but still don't seem to understand basic human interaction, eh Echo?“

Without another word Echo stormed off, and 782 continued in his wake.   
„Bone?!“ he exclaimed, getting into Droidbait's personal bubble to harshly jab his finger into his chest, „What I am doing and with whom is none of your kriffing business, Droidbait.“  
Suddenly Echo was back as well, joining 782 and yelling, „Bone!“ He leaned closer and continued in a way calmer but still menacing voice, „Don't ever speak to me like that again.“  
And to all their bewilderment, okay maybe not Droidbaits, 782 and Echo turned on their heels and went off to the barracks, shoulder to shoulder.

„Just why would you say that?“ 4040 asked in a tiny, miserable voice once both of them had left.  
„They are pend up,“ Droidbait said shrugging, „Now they know and can deal with it.“  
„Deal with it?!“ Fives said, „They'll sooner tear each others heads off than bone.“

The next day saw them retake the test and pass with flying colors.  
„So,“ Droidbait grinned, „you and 782 did finally bone.“  
Echo snorted. „Please Droidbait, don't make a fool of yourself.“  
But Droidbait could only snort at that as well, „Echo, we all know Hevy is hitting it.“  
Echo's eyes widened. „How!?“ he gasped.  
„Dude, you had sex near Cutup.“

_„Wait, wait,“ Cutup said, stopping dead in his tracks.  
„What is it?“ Droidbait asked, cocking his head in confusion as Cutup pointed at the doors to a storage room.  
„Someone's doing it right now, in that supplie closet. Socks off,“ he frowned, „pants on? Whatever,“ he shook his head and grinned broadly at Droidbait, who shook his head.  
„That talent of yours is hella creepy.“_


	7. "yes I did, what about it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was entirely my sisters idea.

"What in the fuck," Kix mumbled as he parked his car in the driveway.  
When he had left the house the night prior it had still looked normal, but now it looked as if the house from the movie 'monster house' had thrown up on it.  
There were pumpkins and spiders and cobwebs everywhere, a skeleton, a stuffed witch and a talking skull.

"Why does my house look like october threw up on it?" he asked as way of greeting towards his two sons and Hardcase, who were in the kitchen and each working on a pumpkin.  
"Isn't it awesome," Senson grinned from ear to ear, "Hardcase has so many halloween decorations. And he wanted to carve Jack-O'Lanterns."  
He pointed at his pumpkin which had wide eyes and a crooked smile. Mirek, who was feeling around his pumpkin, had so far managed to carve two eyes that were only slightly at different heights and different sized.

And upon seeing this idyllic picture Kix couldn't be mad at Hardcase for even a second.  
The quacking and chirping behind him however...  
"Why is there a duck in the house?" Kix asked, looking at a white duck and a small chicken.

"Oh," Hardcase grinned broadly, "the government doesn't want you to know this but the ducks in the park are free. You can just take them!"  
"You stole a duck from the park?"  
"Yeah, I did," Hardcase said defensively, "what about it?"  
Kix rubbed his forehead. "And the chicken?"  
"He hatched from one of the eggs I got last saturday," Hardcase said excitedly and with such a broad smile that Kix' irritation evaporated instantly.

"So, not only does my house look like a professional hounted house, but we now have a chicken and a duck?"  
Hardcase, Mirek and Senson all nodded.  
"Have you even thought about kashi?"   
Speak of the devil, the cat appeared at the door to the kitchen, paying the chick no mind and butting her head against the duck.  
"She seems to like them," Senson shrugged.

Kix sighed, apparently everyone was conspiring against him. Just thank god that his family had chicken when he was younger.  
"What are their names?" he asked.  
"Ducks name is Gary," Hardcase said, pointing at the duck, "chicken-"  
"His name is Arnold," Mirek said, grinning broadly while stabbing at his pumpkin.

Kix paused. "As in Arnold Schwarzenegger?"  
"Yep," Mirek grinned, Senson rolled his eyes.


	8. "I'm not doing that again"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hogwarts-AU. Takes place during 'the prisoner of azkaban'.

„For the love of-“ Kix cursed and shoved Fives away, „Fives, I'm not doing that again! Do your own bloody homework.“  
„I did. I just didn't have enough,“ Fives whined, leaning over Kix' shoulder again to try and read what the slytherin had written on his parchment.  
„Why don't you just write bigger?“ Hardcase asked, who was watching the scene unfold with avid interest.  
„I did that with Lupin last week and he wasn't pleased. Snape's never gonna let that fly,“ Fives said, trying to snatch the parchment out of Kix' hand. But Kix managed to hold it out of his reach, pointing his wand at the gryffindor.

„Fives, drop it, or so help me-“  
But whatever hex he had wanted to threaten Fives with they'll never know as Fives surged foreward and planted a big kiss onto the slytherins lips.  
Kix was so stunned that he froze instantly, giving Fives the opportunity to snag the parchment and make a run for it.   
„You little- get back here!“ Kix cursed before running after Fives.

„Did you just saw what I saw?“ Hardcase asked Jesse, who stared after their fellow students with his mouth agape.  
„Yep,“ he said, before clipping his mouth shut.

Thank Merlin that Madam Pince couldn't give them detention because it took Kix about two minutes of chasing Fives all over the library to get his essay back.  
„Why did you even stick with potions when you do not understand it?“ Kix hissed, gesticulating broadly with the crumpled parchment.  
„You know I need it for a career as auror,“ Fives countered.  
Kix huffed a big breath, rubbing at the bridge of his nose in irritation. 

He flinched as he felt Fives hands on his sides, pushing him back against the shelves.   
„Besides, it's the perfect excuse to spend a little more time with you,“ he grinned, „can just say you're tutoring me.“  
„Aha,“ Kix said, which mure sounded as if he exhaled harshly through his nose, „as long as you don't care that everyone thinks you are behind or something, I'm fine with- would you stop it,“ he hissed as Fives leaned closer, clearly wanting to repeat what he had done to get the essay.  
„Why?“ Fives chuckled, raising a brow, „we're in the restricted section, nobody's gonna see us.“

And he was right, as Kix looked around them he realized that Fives had, in fact, lead him into the restricted section of the library.   
„You are unbelievable you know that, right?“ Kix sighed, but didn't object anymore as Fives pulled him closer.   
Kix rolled his eyes, putting his essay down onto a workbench before laying his arms around Fives' neck.  
„I have my ways,“ Fives grinned knowingly, before leaning foreward to get to the good part.


	9. "will you look at this"

They had special souls. Special in the sense that they manifested themselfes in form of animals, which they called 'demons'.  
Most of their demons got along pretty well, even if the trooper themselfes didn't knew each other or didn't like each other.   
Fives' eagle got along pretty well with Droidbaits meercat and 4040's flamingo. It was even firendly towards Bric and general Ti's demons, though nobody, not even Fives, knew why.

782 and Echo however were a whole different story.  
Their demons, a jaguar and a black panther, just like their humans couldn't stand each other.

„We haven't even finished our final test yet,“ Echo exclaimed, „and you are talking about being an ARC-trooper. You do realize that you need leadership skills to be an ARC, do you?“  
„The only reason we keep failing constantly is because you guys just won't listen to me,“ 782 exclaimed.  
„Excuse you!?“ Droidbait snapped, „I got shot!“  
„Yeah, and you left him behind,“ 4040 agreed.

There was a glare from 782 and a threatningly raised finger, but...  
„Stop being so childish, they're right,“ Echo snapped and 782 snapped his head back towards him, „you think an ARC would've left his fellow trooper behind.“  
„You saying I'm a coward?“ 782 hissed.  
„Quite the opposite,“ Echo growled, stepping closer, „you are selfish.“

782 saw red, and the next thing they knew was him and Echo going at it again.   
Fives, Droidbait and 4040 didn't even bother to step in between them because they all knew that those two needed this, needed it to clear their heads.  
Bric did finally decide to step in between the two trooper but it wasn't him that made them back off, but a strange pull that forced them on distance.   
They looked down and saw the reason for the pull. The jaguar and the black panther were close to each other and, quite unlike their usual personalities not growling or clawing at each other but butting their heads together and purring. 

„Will you look at this,“ Bric hummed, showing quite the unusuall interest in the domino trooper.  
„Ardere?“ 782 asked astonished, trying to shoo his jaguar away from Echo's black panther but his demon refused to be moved.  
„Isn't that precious,“ Bric snorted disgusted, before turning on his heels and stalking off.  
Echo and 782 didn't seem to realize this though as they were too focused on their demons.  
„Chimana,“ Echo said under his breath, now also trying to shoo his demon away from 782's because both of them could still feel this damn pull towards each other.

782 finally decided that enough was enough as he grabbed his demon by the neck fur and manhandled him off the black panther.   
The jaguar still looked back at the panther but finally turned tail as the pull towards his human became too great.  
For a long while there was silence until 4040 mumbled, „Well, that was something.“  
„Shut up!“ Echo hissed, before stalking off as well, though in a different direction than 782.

They didn't manage to stay away from one another for long though, the pull was far too great.  
Ultimately it was Echo that found 782 in a supply room.  
„How long are you going to run away from me?“ he asked as way of greeting, watching how Chimana pounced Ardere and then how the demons started to rub their heads against eachother again.  
„What do you want?“ 782 asked annoyed, not sparing their demons a single glance but instead staring at the wall.

„Look,“ Echo said carefully, sitting down on a crate oppposite from 782, knowingly keeping his distance, „we both know what this means,“ he pointed at their demons.  
782 snorted and shook his head dismissively. „It doesn't have to mean anything.“  
Echo felt a stab of pain at 782's words and given the way 782 flinched he must've felt it too.  
Echo snorted. „Wow, you aren't just selfish, you are childish too.“  
That finally tickled a reaction, other then disinterest, out of 782.

„Nothing about this is childish!“ 782 hissed, and Echo could feel his anger as strongly as if it was his own, „but just because my demon has decided that it likes the company of yours doesn't mean I have to seek your company as well.“  
He got up and extended a hand towards his demon. „Ardere.“  
But the jaguar refused to listen to him again. „For the love of-“ 782 cursed and made to grab the jaguar by the neck again, but this time his demon wouldn't be so easily moved.  
Ardere hissed and batted a clawed paw at 782, who looked quite surprised.

„Ardere seems to think you should listen to him,“ Echo said offhandedly at that, and instantly 782's death glare was directed at him again.  
„Now, come on Hevy,“ Echo chuckled, getting back up as well, „aren't you tired of constantly fighting?“  
There was a pause, one Echo didn't understand, and then 782 asked, „What did you just call me?“  
There was another pause, but this time because Echo had to think. He looked at Chimana, at those green eyes and instantly understood.

„You are so stupid,“ Echo huffed, smiling broadly and striding towards Hevy, who looked utterly confused.   
His confusion mounted into utter bewilderment once Echo grabbed his face and kissed him.   
„How are you this thick headed and still alive?“


	10. "all I ever wanted"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To spare the confusion, everyone is genderbended in this one, and they get pregnant through sperm donations.   
> Or should I say pregante. Pregananant?

It had been everything Hardcase had ever wanted, being pregnant, having a child, but this wasn't turning out as she had wanted at all.  
First of all, how did the doctors miss that she was carrying twins this whole time?  
Second of all, why did her son have to be blind? Not that she loved Mirek any less for being blind, she loved him with a burning passion.  
Third of all, why was her damn mind working against her?

Kix tried to help her as much as she could while still being forced to work insane hours at the hospital.  
More then once Hardcase could hear Kix angrily mumble to herself about how the american healthcare system was fucked and how it would've been much easier to have the children in germany. But it was too late for that now.

„You don't get it,“ Kix hissed, once Resol asked her how things were going at home, „Hardcase is alone with the kids for most of the day and I can't be there for her because of this damn hospital,“ she slapped a file down onto the nurse station, earning herself a disapproving glare by Yinda, that quickly changed into one of pitty, „plus, she seems to be having a real bad case of postpartum depression but refuses to see a specialist.“  
„She won't listen to you?“ Resol asked.  
„Of course not,“ Kix said, throwing her hands into the air, „I have no fucking idea what I'm talking about! I am not the one that just gave birth to twins.“ She recided what Hardcase was throwing at her head every time that she asked her wife to see a specialist.

It would take two more days before salvation was in sight.  
Resol couldn't forget about what Kix had told her and managed to find the solution, which came in form of Tup.   
Hardcase refused to listen to Kix, as she had no idea what she was going through, but Tup, who had already given birth and was currently pregnant was an entirely different story.  
She talked to Kix and Tup and both agreed to give it a shot. So they invited Tup, Dogma and their daughter Livia over for a 'playdate' and tried to broach the subject lightly.  
But in the end Tup and Kix were as discreet as a fucking sledge hammer.

„So, you have postpartum depression,“ Tup shrugged, as she watched Dogma show their daughter the twins, Livia watching the sleeping babys with avid interest.   
„No,“ Hardcase shook her head, „ I just have the wheepies.“  
„No, Hardcase, you have postpartum-“ Kix started, but Tup silenced her with a raised hand.   
„Let me,“ she said carefully.

„Hardcase, it's nothing to be ashamed of,“ she said, taking the other womans hand and stroking her thumb down the back of it comfortingly, „you think you'll just squeez two humans out of your body and just be fine as rain?“  
Hardcase shook her head but not to show that she didn't think one would be allright, but because she didn't want to hear what Tup had to say.   
The pregnant woman shook her head as well, rubbing a hand down her face before steadying Livia who stumbled back to clutch her mothers skirt.

„Tell me what your worst thought was after you had the twins,“ she insisted.  
Hardcase shook her head. „I don't know,“ she denied.  
„Really?“ Tup asked, raising a brow, „because when Livia wouldn't stop crying I wanted to throw her straigt out the window.“  
Dogma's eyes widened at that and she would've made a grab for her daughter if it hadn't been for Kix laying a hand onto her shoulder and stopping her.   
She had seen that Hardcase's eyes showed interest at what Tup said.  
„Really?“ Hardcase asked, astonishment and excitement of all things in her voice, and she smiled, „I wanted to throw the twins out the window.“  
Dogma blanched at that, while Kix didn't seem as surprised. Her neighbor had told her how Hardcase had left the twins to cry on some occasions, while she sat out in the hallway and just stared into space.

„Yeah, but we had just renovated and all the windows were taped shut, so I just wanted to drop them off the roof.“  
Hardcase broke down in tears again and Dogma snatched Livia up into her arms. Kix also couldn't keep his distance anymore and slid closer to Hardcase to lay a comforting arm around her wifes shoulders.  
„Hardcase,“ she said quietly, „sweety please, listen to Tup.“  
That's when Tup rose from the armchair she'd been sitting in as well and sat down on Hardcase's other side.

„This is all I ever wanted,“ Hardcase hiccuped, „All I ever wanted was to be a mother. And now that I am one, my mind keeps telling me that I'm not cut out for it.“  
„And you are ashamed of that?“ Tup asked.  
„W-Wouldn't you be?“ Hardcase sobbed, refusing to look at Kix.  
„Oh, I was,“ Tup said, throwing a quick glance towards Dogma, who now understood why Tup had never told her about wanting to throw their daughter out of the window.  
„Listen to me,“ Tup said imploring Hardcase to look at her as she grabbed her hand, „this is nothing you can beat through sheer force of will, or positive thinking. You're gonna need professional help.“


	11. "I told you so"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of chapter 5. Fives isn't letting it rest and it comes back to bite him in the ass.  
> Fair warning, I'm making this up as I go along so this might be the end to it or there might be another chapter, I really don't know.

„I just dreamt it,“ Fives said forcefully, the same thing he'd told himself over and over for the last couple of months.  
He had just fallen asleep while trying to find out who had been Kix' instructor. The '+ additional' was gone and maybe he had just dreamt that one too.  
Or were just too many things explained by, 'I just fell asleep'?  
Who could've been the '+ additional', if it really said that, that would've forced Kix to apparently drug him and make him believe he had just dreamt the whole thing.

He took a deep dive into the records of all instructors that were employed on kamino and what he came back with made his blood run cold.  
Apparently they hadn't just been your run of the mill bounty hunters and mercenarys but also people with much more connections. There weren't just a hand full of names that Fives knew to be members of the zeta kait, a cartel that produced weapons and droids and supplied mercenarys for the seperatists.  
But just because their instructors had a certain political opinion and chose the wrong side didn't mean that there was anything evil going on.

The question still remained though, why none of the mercenarys that Fives found in the records showed up as instructors in the files of any trooper.  
What if they had wiped the '+ additional' off the files but hadn't, for some reason, wiped the mercenarys from the records entirely.

Fives thought about talking to Rex or someone else about his findings but ultimately decided against it.  
At this point he was pretty sure that he hadn't dreamt Kix injecting him with something and having him believe that he had just dreamt everything about it, which meant that there was someone other then Kix working to keep this under wraps.  
Resol seemed to be in on it, he was Kix' batchmate after all, which would mean that Cody was in on it as well.

„I told you so,“ Havoc said, throwing a datapad down onto the table Kix sat at, while doing inventory.  
„Told me what?“ Kix flinched, looking at him bewildered.  
„He is still looking into it, it didn't work,“ Havoc hissed, pointing at the pad to show Kix that Fives had accessed the records again.  
„Just a question,“ Kix said slowly, after having looked at the pad, „why didn't you wipe those files as well?“  
„This isn't funny, Kix,“ Havoc hissed, grabbing a hold of Kix' shoulder, grip tight, „he knows that you were trained by a kait mercenary. If he has any sense he will conclude that it wasn't just you but Resol and Cody as well. From there on it is only a matter of time before he finds out about all of it.“

And Kix had to agree. Fives was smart and damn inquisitive, he would find out about it sooner rather than later.  
„I will take care of it,“ he said resignated.  
„Take care of it as a Shezmu would,“ Havoc hissed, „We gave you enough leeway. The eight want him dead.“  
„I wasn't the one that left all of this in the records,“ Kix hissed, pointing at the pad and at what Fives had found, „none of this would've happened if you had wiped this after he found the '+ additional'.“

„It helps no one to dwell on this,“ Havoc said clipped, „we wiped the files completely but you need to do damage controle now.“  
„I will,“ Kix growled, poiting an accusatory finger at the ARC-trooper, „I will kill the man that I love because you guys didn't wipe the files completely.“


	12. "watch me"

Their DADA teacher had decided that he would be trying the patronus charm with them, saying that sixth year was a ripe age to try and produce a corporeal patronus. And of course Hevy was boasting up and down that he'd be able to produce a patronus, no problem.  
„Merlin knows I have enough happy memories,“ he grinned, „Like how we obliterated Ravenclaw in the last quidditch match.“  
„I would hardly call 210 to 220 obliterate,“ Echo grumbled, still feeling slightly salty about the fact that Hevy had been faster at catching the snitch than their seeker.

„You're still salty about that?“ Hevy snorted, „I was faster, so what?“  
„You were just faster because Jesse hit our seeker with a damn bludger,“ Echo growled, swinging his wand again and only producing a mist of light.  
„Watch me,“ Hevy snorted, before swinging his wand as well and producing a fully formed Jaguar that started to prowl across the class room.  
„Very good Mister Masters,“ their teacher said, awarding five points to gryffindor and causing Echo to grind his teeth.

He thought about how Hevy had been rammed by the slytherin chaser the last year and how he had missed the snitch because of that. His cloud flickered into a shape for a second, Echo not being able to make out a general shape, before disappearing again.  
He thought about how Hevy had managed to blow up his potion a few months back and how Snape had given him a dressing down and two weeks detention. The front paws of a feline animal could be seen, before the patronus evaporated again.  
There were some laughs and Echo turned his head to see Fives admiring the eagle that had sprung from his wand and Denal who patted his shoulder.

Echo cursed and tried to think of another happy memory. He had felt glee when Hardcase had accidentally hit Hevy with a dung bomb, when Peeves had emptied a bucket full of frogs over the slytherin and hufflepuff table and when he had managed to get ten O's in his OWL's.  
But none of it managed to make his patronus full fledged.  
There were ten minutes until class would be over and Echo cursed inwardly.

Droidbait had managed to form a patronus, a meerkat that scurried around the classroom and would stand up in it's hind legs from time to time.  
Why should he be able to form a bloody patronus but not him.  
Echo focused his mind, trying to think of a memory that was happier than anything he had thought about so far.  
That's when he remembered what had happened the week prior. 

He and Hevy had been in the library. Well, they had just been in the library at the same time, both of them doing their homework in study of magical creatures and ancient runes respectively; though Hevy had been more occupied with bewitching paper planes and having them fly all over the library.

„You know, if you really wanna become an auror you should probably do a bit more work for potions,“ Echo had grumbled, once a paper plane hit him in the head.  
He batted it away and continued his translations.  
„Charms is just as important,“ Hevy hummed, „Speaking of which. I've been working on a new spell, wanna hear it?“  
„No.“  
„Come on, it's really good this time.“  
„Just like the one that nearly blasted Droidbait out of the window last month?“

„He didn't have to walk right into my wand.“  
Echo rolled his eyes, knowing that Hevy wouldn't relent until he listened to his spell. As of now Hevy, despite his ambitions of creating a new spell, hadn't been that successfull.  
„Okay,“ Hevy cleared his throat, while Echo took his homework off the table before Hevy accidently set them on fire or made them disappear.  
„Raven's caw,“ Hevy said, moving his wand in a sweeping arc, „snake's hiss, maybe Echo will give me a kiss.“  
And before Echo could even snort at Hevy's poor choice of spell, Hevy leaned foreward and pressed a quick and chaste kiss to his lips.  
„See, the spell works,“ Hevy had grinned, using the fact that Echo was utterly blindsided to kiss him again.

Echo had taken quite some time before he was thinking clearly enough to push Hevy away.  
„What the bloody hell is your problem?“ he had snapped, feeling his face heat up as Hevy grinned.  
„Just showed you my new spell,“ Hevy shrugged, „is all.“  
Echo ground his teeth, grabbed his homework and bag and got up. „Never do that again,“ he hissed, before turning on his heels and stalking out of the library.  
He hadn't been angry at Hevy because of the paper planes, or even the kiss, he had been angry because it made the butterflies in his stomach go wild.  
Even though Echo tried to deny it Fives had already realized that Echo's annoyance with Hevy masked something entirely different. 

Around their fourth year Echo had started to notice that he looked at Hevy in a new light.  
Suddenly the way he looked at Hevy wasn't entirely as a nuisance. Sure he was still annoying, the way he tried to make up a spell, the way he boasted about his quidditch skills or how he always pretended to be an auror.  
But now he had to realized that all those things maybe annoyed him but they also were extremely attractive. Which, Merlin's beard, Hevy and attractive?!  
Sure, Echo knew that he liked boys more than girls, had known ever since he had kissed Fives in their third year, but he would've never thought that he'd be ultimately falling for Hevy of all people.

Back in their DADA class Echo thought back to that feeling when Hevy had kissed him, focused on how the butterflies in his stomach had gone wild, and did the spell again.  
„Expecto Patronum,“ he said under his breath and a feline broke out of the tip of his wand, pouncing through the class room.  
Echo chuckled in amazement, watching as the black panther ran into Nub and nearly tobbled him over.  
„Hevy,“ he heard Cutup breath and the next moment he had a clear view of Hevy's patronus, Hevy's patronus that was walking around his own patronus.  
It were the only two felines of their class but that wasn't the most shocking thing, the most shocking thing was how Hevy's jaguar and Echo's black panther were rubbing their heads together.  
Nobody but them noticed though as their teacher ended the class and all their patroni evaporated while everybody packed up their stuff.

Echo hurried to get his things as well and out of the class room but didn't get far as Hevy caught up to him and pulled him into a vacated class room.  
„I knew it,“ Hevy said, grinning broadly as he pushed him up against the class room door.  
Echo thought about pushing Hevy off and snapping that he shouldn't feel too smug because he had no bloody controle over what his patronus would be and that he didn't like him one bit.  
But to what use?  
Hevy already knew, Echo could see it in his eyes, and if he was being honest Echo didn't feel like pushing it down anymore. Three years had been enough.  
So instead he grabbed Hevy around the shoulders, pulled him close and kissed him.

„This spell is bloody amazing,“ Hevy grinned against his lips, once Echo let him up for air.  
„Shut up about your bloody spell,“ Echo growled, biting his bottom lip to make him shut up, „or I'll show you a spell.“  
„Oh, you can show me spells alright,“ Hevy hummed, pressing even closer, „you can show me everything you want.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zaubermolch und Kolibridreck, dieses Wasser sei fortan Crack!


	13. "I missed this"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At it again with the soulmate recognition AU, but this time with a little twist to it.

It was pretty strange, strange in a way that you would scratch your head about why you would find it strange.   
Hardcase had not been on any of his shenanigans for about a month now. No pranks, he was quieter, more calm and not as hyper energetic as usual, and most importantly he wasn't laughing as much.  
Sure the new found peace and calm was nice in some regards but it also felt like someone had taken Hardcase and replaced him with someone or something else.

At first nobody had really thought about saying anything, being way too relieved that they didn't find paint in the helmets or bugs in their beds. But a month into the whole thing people were starting to get weary, and that had Rex ultimately getting worried.  
It wasn't good for morale when his unit was weary of one of their fellow trooper.

„Do you have any idea what this is about?“ Rex asked Jesse, hoping that he would have an explanation for his batch mate's strange behavior.  
„It's recognition,“ Jesse sighed, rubbing his forehead.   
Rex paused, for a second sure that he had misheard. „Recognition?“ he asked dumbfounded.  
Jesse nodded. „He recognized Kix.“  
Now Rex felt ultimate confusion. „And?“ he asked, „what's the problem?“  
„Kix didn't recognize him back,“ Jesse said gravely and now Hardcase's strange behaviro made a lot more sense. A unreciprocated recognition could lead to dips in mood, withdrawnness and even depression.

The frustrating thing was also that there wasn't much that they could do to help Hardcase.  
Sure, Hardcase could just tell Kix his soulname but that wasn't exactly orthodox and, if he was being honest, not something Rex saw Hardcase doing.   
So he tried a different approach, he tried talking to Kix about it. Which was when the true extend of the situation was revealed to him. 

„What do you mean Hardcase recognized me?“ Kix asked once Rex had told him what Jesse had told him. Kix' face was a mask of utter shock and he pressed a hand to his mouth, through which Rex could hardly hear him say, „I recognized him too.“  
„Hold up,“ Rex said, „did you just say that you recognized him too?“  
„Yes,“ Kix said, lowering his hand, before lifting both to rest them in the back of his neck, „but I didn't feel a pull towards him. There is a pull, right?“ he asked and Rex nodded, as there had been a pull when he had recognized Cody.  
„See,“ Kix said, lowering his hands again before starting to gesticulate, apparently not knowing what to do with his hands, „I thought that meant that I had recognized him but that he didn't recognize me. That it was platonic or something.“

So it all boiled down to a misunderstanding.  
As soon as Kix knew that Hardcase had recognized him too and he started to hang around him again, as he had gone on distance after he thought their bond to be platonic, their bond seemed to recover.   
Hardcase turned back to his hyperactive, talkative self and two weeks later Rex walked into the messhall only to be almost hit in the face with mash.

„Force, I missed this,“ he chuckled, once he had taken cover behind a table next to Jesse and Fives.  
„I could've easily gone another month without this,“ Echo grumbled, but all of them knew that he was lying.   
Hardcase in this state had unsettled everyone. And if anyone knew just how unpleasant a closed off, broken or clipped bond was it had to be Echo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU you recognize someone as your soulmate by all of a sudden knowing their soulname, and feeling a great pull towards that person. In a straight couple that pull is supposed to have the pair reproduce and have children, but also to fully manifest the bond. Because Hardcase and Kix had this misunderstanding they didn't fully manifest their bond, which led to Hardcase's depression.
> 
> You can also tell another person your soulname and essentially force recognition like that but it is viewed as highly unorthodox as it usually can't force this pull between the soulmates. Usually only because some couples bonds are so strong, even without proper recognition, that the pull will still happen for them.
> 
> Echo knows why a 'broken' bond sucks because he recognized Hevy and a bond being cut through death is one of the worst things. Followed closely by a bond that is denied, and a not fully formed bond on one side is a close third. Hardcase and Kix' was a mixture of two and three.


	14. "you better leave now"

Kix was pretty sure that he must have misheard what Fives had said.  
„I'm sorry, what did you just say?“ he asked, raising a brow in growing irritation.  
„I-I didn't mean to insult,“ Fives said quickly, raising his hands in a placiting gesture, „I-I just thought that... it'll give you some peace...“ he trailed off.

There was a great bout of silence between them as Kix processed Fives' proposal.  
He had asked Kix to bond with him, saying that it would help Kix deal with his broken bond.  
In of itself it wasn't that bad of an idea, a broken bond could indeed be soothed by forming a new bond but most of the time the person suffering from the broken bond would not agree to that.  
And Kix was no different.

„Are you really suggesting that I bond with you,“ Kix growled.   
„I-I just thought I-“ Fives stuttered.  
„Fives,“ Kix said, voice a threatening growl, „you better leave now before I give you a real reason to be in the infirmary.“  
„Yes,“ Fives said quickly and backed away from him, making a quick escape.  
Now being left alone Kix took a moment to rub a hand down his face. Just what in the name of the force was Fives thinking. Probably he wasn't thinking at all, or at least not all to straight.

He had noticed Fives' interest in him ever since he and Echo had first joined torent. Of course both of them knew nothing would be coming of those feelings, and Kix had hoped that Fives would be growing out of his puppy crush.  
Apparently he hadn't.

And even though Kix knew that Fives only meant well he couldn't help but feel betrayed.  
It wasn't that he was on the brink of going insane, at least he hoped so. The broken bond was debilitating but he liked to think that he could manage.  
Maybe sometime in the future.

 _No_ , Kix shook his head. Though he loved Fives, loved him dearly, he just couldn't help but think that he was betraying Hardcase by considering the ARC's offer.  
Despite there being a part of his mind, that he was pretty sure was the echo of his bond with Hardcase, that was pushing him towards Fives, urging him to find happiness again.  
And Kix would find happiness, just not like this.  
His bond with Hardcase had been something unique, and while he loved Fives just as much it wasn't the same.

It would take two more months before the push would lead to pull and ultimately to a sound reverberating in Kix brain that sounded like the sound of a stone falling, but he knew that it was Fives' soulname. _Tikok._

Fives seemed to have noticed the pull at the same time as Kix did and looked at him with wide eyes and a shocked expression.  
 _"I didn't do anything,"_ he assured him, holding up his hands.  
 _In sending there is nothing but the truth_ , so Kix knew that Fives wasn't lying.  
He sighed and turned to the remnants of his bond with Hardcase. 

_"Is this really what you want?"_ he asked, and the presence answered by giving him another shove in Fives' direction.  
Kix rolled his eyes and decided the best thing to do in this situation was to pull Fives into a bear hug.  
"Wow," Fives gasped, awkwardly but quickly returning the gesture, "you aren't mad?"  
"How many people hug you when they're mad?" Kix asked, voice muffled as he had his face pressed into the crook of Fives' neck.  
He still didn't quite like this new development but Hardcase's presence was right, he had felt as if lost at sea without the presence of another. And he did love Fives. 

He was still grieving that was all. It was comforting to know that Hardcase's presence was still somewhat with him but Kix was also afraid of the day when it would fully cease to exist, fearing that because of that he would never be able to fully give Fives what he wanted.  
Kix shook his head and pulled closer to Fives instead.   
It felt way too good to feel the warmth and closeness of a soulbond again to be thinking about stuff like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter in the soulbond-AU.  
> Sending is like talking telepathically and in sending there is only the truth.


	15. "not interested, thank you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I'm getting irregular on this one but work is kicking me in the behind.  
> And also sorry about this being another Hogwarts-AU, I am in quite the Harry Potter-mood recently.

„Come on, you can't just be the only one that's not guoing to hogsmeade,“ Hevy whined and Echo felt the overwhelming need to put a silencing charm on the gryffindor.  
„I don't mind being alone in the common room,“ Echo said absendminded, „at least than I'll be able to study in peace.“  
„What is that suppposed to mean?“ Dogma hissed from beside him and Echo rolled his eyes.  
His fellow ravenclaw was always ademant about the fact that he wasn't annoying, which was rather annoying.

„I'm not talking about you, Dogma,“ Echo huffed, writing down some more rune translations before an ink stain appeared on his parchment as Hevy snatched his quill from his hand.  
„I'm not going to let you be the only fifth year that's not going to hogsmeade this weekend,“ Hevy said determined, deliberately ignoring the death glare Echo was giving him.

„Maybe you want to flunk your OWL's but I do not,“ Echo grumbled, grinding his teeth as he held out his hand for his quill, but Hevy was relentless.  
„You can get away with missing out one day of studying,“ he said, while holding the quill out of his reach.   
„And how would you know?“ Echo hissed, now getting up and forcing Hevy to levitate the quill out of his reach, „Who's gonna say that they won't just utterly blindside us like Snape said?“  
„Than all your studying wouldn't help anyways,“ Hevy chuckled, „if they'll blindside you. Come on. I'll even get you thos chocolate coldruns that you like so much.“

„Not interested, thank you,“ Echo hissed, now also with his wand in hand.   
„Hey,“ Dogma hissed and pointed at the teachers table. Professor Mcgonagall was looking at them and not looking pleased at all.  
Hevy's face split into a shit eating grin once Echo turned back to him. „Come to hogsmeade and I'll give you your quill back, and nobody looses any house points.“

Now Echo needed to think. He could just ignore Mcgonagall and get his quill back but Hevy wouldn't go down without a fight, which would loose them both house points.   
He could ignore Hevy and loose his quill, which was his last by the way, as Hardcase's latest shenanigans had victimized his quills.  
Truely he only had one option.

„Fine,“ Echo hissed through gritted teeth, „I'll come to hogsmeade, but-“ he quickly added before Hevy could celebrate too enthusiastically, „I get to choose where we go.“  
„Deal,“ Hevy said, dropping Echo's quill down on Dogma's head, who turned red in anger, before setteling down again, seeming very pleased with himself.

He should've remembered who his boyfriend was, Echo could get rather petty.  
„Naw, Why?!“ Hevy whined that saturday as Echo pulled him in the direction of Madam Puddifoot's tea shop.  
„Why not?“ Echo countered, sweet as honey.  
„I thought you hated this place,“ Hevy hissed before smiling awkwardly as Echo pulled him past the threshold.  
„I do,“ Echo admitted, flopping down at one of the tables, „but I know you hate it even more.“

He continued to smile, watching Hevy all the while until he finally sat down on the other chair at the table Echo had chosen.  
„Besides,“ Echo said matter-of-factly, taking up the menu, „You could use some tea. The upcoming quidditch match has you all antsy.“ he pointed at Hevy's hands that were shaking, not because of being antsy but because he was pissed.

„Ah, bullshit,“ Hevy cursed, quickly lowering his voice as a girl at the table next to them hissed form him to quiet down.  
„Wait a minute, we could still study something,“ Echo suddenly said, grinning broadly, „isn't tea leaves reading in the OWL's?“  
„What do I need to do so you will shut up?“ Hevy hissed, cheeks burning brightly red.  
Echo couldn't help but laugh. „Why did you even take Divination in the first place?“  
„Because I thought it would be an easy O,“ Hevy hissed, „What's gonna take it for me to get out of this.“

„Not a chance,“ Echo laughed, winking Madam Poodifoot over to them, „I can't study and now you have to suffer.“  
Hevy groaned and buried his face in his hands, forcing Echo to order tea for both of them.  
Lavender sounded particularly calming.


	16. "I never wanted anything else"

Nobody knew where they came from, one day they just appeared as if out of thin air.  
At first they thought them to be a group of trooper that had been somehow swayed to join the Seperatist's cause by their leader, who was rumored to be a female togruta.

Rumors were running high until the day the 501st met them in battle and realized that this was no wayward group of clone trooper; at least, none of their universe.  
Unless Ahsoka had also turned her back on the republic, which she evidently hadn't.  
"It's like looking into a mirror," she had told Anakin after the battle, "but all twisted and wrong."

It had taken them months to realize that this new faction was coming from a parallel universe and wasn't a band of deserters siding with the CIS.  
How they didn't realize this sooner was anyones guess when they found out about the main difference between their universes. Fett had been force sensitive in theirs, which led to the clone army being force sensitive as well. 

Whereas the kaminoans of their world were ademant that you couldn't clone a force sensitive, their universes kaminoans could; or maybe you could in fact clone a force sensitive but the kaminoans just refused to do so.  
Be that as it may, how strange was it seeing Cody weild a red lightsaber?  
Those clones were a force to be reckoned with, and it didn't help matters that they didn't align with either side of the current conflict, but seemed to follow their own agenda.

Hardcase hadn't run into one of those trooper up and in person until three months after they showed up.  
He was inside a starfighter, don't ask him why Echo thought it a good idea to get him into one, and one of those clones just decided to kriffing launch himself at the fighter.  
Echo yelled at him to evade but who could really focus with someone flying at your starfighter that looked just like the rest of your brothers..

Before Hardcase could even try to react the trooper landed on his starfighter, lodging his lightsaber in the cockpit glass.  
The fighter started to tumble through the skies as Hardcase tried his damndest to keep it airborn while avoiding the lightsaber that stabbed it's way into the cockpit.

When the damage to the cockpit's glass was big enough for a human to fit through the alt!universe trooper grabbed a hold of Hardcade's chest armor and hauled him straight out of the starfighter.  
"Hardcase!?" the trooper yelled over the sound of wind thundering past them and blaster fire from below. And dumbstruck Hardcase found himself nodding.

This led to him getting headbutted unconscious and waking up in a cabin on a ship that was unknown to him, probably those alt!universe trooper's ship.  
For half an hour Hardcase tried finding a way out of the locked cabin until the doors opened for him. But not to freedom but to the alt!universe trooper that had grabbed him out of his starfighter. 

And that was the moment Hardcase's whole world broke down around him.  
"Kix!?"   
It was evident that this was not his Kix, what with the armor that had red markings instead of blue ones and those damn yellow eyes, and for the fact that his Kix had died half a year ago; but appart from that this man was almost a splitting image of his Kix.

„You could say that,“ alt!Kix said, and hearing his voice made Hardcase shudder.  
„No,“ he said quietly, „you may look like him and sound like him but you aren't him.“  
„Just like you are not my Hardcase,“ alt!Kix agreed, „but maybe this is where we can find common ground.“

Alt!Kix explained that their universe was dying. They didn't knew why and how but they were an expedition send out to find something that could stop it.  
They had traveled through many different universes, one for example where general Skywalker had fallen to the dark side and exterminated almost the entire jedi order -unlike the universe of alt!Kix, in which the dark side managed to dominate-, but they hadn't been able to find anything that could safe their universe; until they reached this one.  
For some reason alt!Ahsoka seemed to think that Hardcase would be what could safe their universe.

„Hold up,“ Hardcase said as he heard that, „who said why to the what now.“  
„I can sense it too,“ alt!Kix insisted, „Every other universe has felt alien but this one didn't. It took us months to find out what it was that felt so familiar. At the battle today I could feel this pull and I followed it,“ he shrugged, „it led me to you.“

„But that sounds insane,“ Hardcase insisted.  
„Just as insane as us being from another universe?“ Kix asked, and his lopsided grin reminded Hardcase so much of his Kix.  
„What does that mean now?“ Hardcase asked before he could dwell on how good it felt to be able to talk to Kix again. He shook his head as he caught himself refer to this man as 'his Kix'.

„All universes we visited so far didn't have you alive,“ alt!Kix said, „you were either killed or never existed in the first place.“  
Hardcase paused, not liking the sound of that at all.  
„What about your universe?“ he heard himself ask.   
Alt!Kix' eyes flashed brightly yellow for a second before he lowered them down to his hands. „He was killed about a month before we set out on this mission... That's actually the only reason I signed up for it in the first place. So I could at least see you- him again.“

Hardcase didn't knew what he felt as he heard that Kix had just as much of a hard time differentiating him from the man he had lost.  
„Just to see me?“ he asked instead of dwelling on the fact that he had thought of that alternate version of Kix as 'Kix' again.  
„I never wanted anything else,“ Kix said decidedly and Hardcase's heart skipped a beat as Kix' eyes flashed brown, even if it was only for a split second, and might as well be his imagination.

This man wasn't his Kix, just as Hardcase wasn't his Hardcase, but it seemed to be enough.   
Both of them wanted, and needed, that back what they had lost. So Hardcase agreed to go with them.  
Leaving his universe behind still felt weird but in face of getting to be with Kix again, don't matter if it was within a whole other universe, Hardcase went all too happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hear me out on this one. Alt!Ahsoka and Alt!Kix are pulling a bit of a Walter Bishop in this one and taking Hardcase out of another universe. Btw, this would work as Hardcase is essentially the glue that kept their universe together.
> 
> Hardcase and Kix in this one are both not from the movie/tv-show timeline. Kix being from one universe in which the clones are force sensitives and the dark side is the dominant side of the force, making them all sith and dark jedi.  
> Hardcase is from a universe in which Rex never existed and Echo is in his stead, plus some other minor differences; one of which being that Anakin wouldn't be the one falling to the dark side but Obi-Wan instead.


	17. "give me a minute or an hour"

Fives had gotten away with doing it once.  
He teased Kix in a dark corner of a hallway, five minutes before they were supposed to be in a meating so as they needed to head off Kix was left to grit his teeth and ignore Fives' smug, knowing expression.  
It was only supposed to be this once, however he seemed to have pissed off the gods or the force or whatever higher beings there were because the following days were a living hell.

Whatever he tried, where ever he pulled Kix off to, they were always interrupted.  
If it was Tup that was supposed to get something from storage, Hardcase who had hit his head in the fresher, Rex who wanted to have a word with him or the on call doctor that called Kix into the infirmary.

„It's like we're jinxed or something,“ Fives cursed as Jesse walked into the rec room just as he was about snogg Kix. He had thought that they were the only ones still awake.  
„Well, I didn't start it now did I?“ Kix huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting as Jesse sat down on the couch next to Fives.  
„So, what are we watching?“ Jesse asked, seemingly not noticing that he was utterly out of place.  
„I don't know,“ Kix huffed, handing the remote to the holo off to Jesse before he got up, „Why don't you look for something fun, I'll get me some caf.“

Fives looked after Kix in bewilderment and only caught on as Kix motioned for him to follow him before he was fully out the door.  
„You know what, I'll get some caf too. You want some, Jesse?“  
„Nah,“ Jesse said absendminded, apparently the movie that was playing on the holo was quite interesting, „Now Shh, I can't understand what they're saying.“  
Fives shook his head in disbelieve, chuckling under his breath about how easily occupied Jesse was before he cursed as Kix pulled him into a vacant room.

„So, where were we,“ he husked, pushing him up against the wall, and Fives was entirely too happy to stop all talking in favor of getting back to kissing Kix.  
They were also getting way on their way to something more, especially with the way that Kix was grinding against the thigh that Fives had wedged in between his legs, if there hadn't been this damn jinx.  
Fives heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening next to him and a sound that sounded positively feral. It took him a moment to realize that the sound came from Kix.

„No,“ Kix hissed, pushing Ahsoka of all people back out of the door, „give me a minute or an hour, but no!“  
The door was closed again and silence settled over them.  
„Was that general Skywalker behind her?“ Fives found himself asking, before he swallowed as Kix' burning gaze focused on him. He backed away from the medic until his back bumped into the wall and he had no place else to go.  
„I don't care,“ Kix hissed, grabbing him through his off duty fatigues, „I've been waiting for this for three days. No one's going anywhere until you made me come!“


	18. "you don't see it?"

All of them saw black and white until they met their soulmate, then the colours were supposed to appear. But something had to be wrong with their connection or something because 782 had been able to see colours ever since he had first met Echo but Echo insisted on the fact that he wasn't able to see colours.

„What do you mean you don't see it?“ 782 had asked once he asked Echo about it.  
„I don't alright,“ Echo had hissed as if feeling insulted, „not everyone meets their soulmate as early as you do.“  
Although who was he talking about? As far as 782 knew none of them had met their soulmate as of now appart from himself and he had already mentioned how that was strange as well.

Droidbait would only meet Nub on the Rishi moon, 782 would never meet Jesse who made Fives see colours, and Cutup would only tell him later on that he made him see colours; and have him realize that he wasn't alone in having a strange bond.

„But that doesn't make any sense,“ 782 insisted, „I started seeing colours as soon as I saw you!“  
Echo paused and stared at him as if he had just suggested he go and kiss Asajj Ventress.  
„I don't know what you are trying to pull,“ he said slowly, „but I am not falling for it.“  
„I'm not trying to pull anything,“ 782 insisted, „I can see colours because of you. Look,“ he grabbed onto Echo's wrist before the other could get up and leave. „Our off duty fatigues are red.“  
„Wow,“ Echo said unimpressed, rolling his eyes, „I could've also told you that and I can't even see colour.“  
„Really?“ 782 said, turning Echo's wrist to show him something on the back of his sleeve, „do you also know that those patterns here,“ he pointed at the bands on the wrists of Echo's tunik, „those are auburn.“

Echo's eyes widened a fraction and he stared at him.  
„And your eyes,“ 782 continued, cupping Echo's face despite the fact that Echo tried to pull back from his touch, „they are just slightly lighter than the rest of us.“  
There was a second, a second in which 782 thought that there was something in Echo's eyes, something like recognition, but it was lost just as quickly as he thought he saw it.

„This doesn't have to mean anything,“ Echo huffed, pushing 782's hand away from his face.   
„It could be platonic just as much,“ Echo said at the same moment that 782 snapped, „how could any of this not mean anything?!“  
As soon as what Echo had said had fully registered with him 782's face shut down.  
„Platonic,“ he snorted, „I can't stand you on a good day but sure, it's platonic.“

From that moment on 782, now called Hevy, stayed civil with him but appart from that he never touched on their soulbond again.   
They got to the Rishi moon and Cutup told him that he could see colours now because of him, and Hevy wouldn't react the same way Echo had reacted to him, he couldn't.  
It didn't feel like his bond with Echo did but he got used to it and Cutup was a very good friend.  
Echo stayed close to Fives, who was so obviously crushing on Echo that Hevy couldn't help but tease him about it on an almost daily basis. 

Hevy would never see the day that he was proven right.  
It was shortly after the wole situation on Rishi was dealt with, as Echo and Fives were having their routine medical check up after joining torent.  
Echo didn't knew what exactly triggered it, he had been thinking about Hevy's last words and all of a sudden colour flooded his vision.

„Wow,“ he breathed as he watched the torent medic draw his blood, marveling at the colour of his own blood.  
„You okay?“ the medic asked, and now that Echo could see colours he realized just how filigree the lightning patterns of his haircut were, „Are you feeling dizzy or something?“  
„No,“ Echo shook his head, turning the vial of blood Kix handed him up and down in his hand, „I just never saw the colours of it.“

„I thought you said you didn't have a soulmate?“ Kix asked, looking down at his pat to make sure he hadn't misread.  
„I didn't,“ Echo said, feeling how his heart sunk, „at least not until now. But it doesn't matter,“ he huffed, handing the vial back to Kix so that the medic could cool it, „he is dead.“


	19. "I can't do this anymore"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would say that this is something I didn't use in 'we gonna need catnip' but that would be a bold-faced lie.

Hardcase stood up on his hind legs, bouncing up and down as he watched Kix, who was layed out on the desk and sleeping peacefully.  
That wouldn't hold for long though, Ahsoka thought, as she watched the scene unfold. Hardcase readied himself and jumped up the desk, touching the sleeping Kix cat with his front paws.  
Kix let out a loud „meow“ as he was awoken and jumped up, claws extended towards Hardcase, who had already dropped back down.

Hardcase strutted off, looking awefully pleased with himself even in cat form, while Kix was left hissing and growling, which probably translated to, _'I can't do this anymore!'._

As always it didn't hold for long. Kix growled and grumbled but when Hardcase cuddled up to him again later he didn't object or hiss but instead he started to groom his fur.   
Ahsoka chuckled under her breath and shook her head in amusement.   
„I mean, I knew you liked each other before,“ she said, chuckling again as her voice got Hardcase's attention and the grey tabby cat lifted his head and looked at her attentively, „but this is pretty overt even for you.“  
Kix hissed and Ahsoka rolled her eyes.   
„Won't you stop being so overprotective,“ she chuckled, scratching the black cats head who growled disgruntled. His mood didn't seem to rise as Hardcase stood up and started to rub himself against Ahsoka's arm.

„I'll scratch you too,“ Ahsoka laughed, stroking Hardcase's fur as Kix growled and hissed. True to her word she reached out and scratched Kix behind the ears, paying no mind to his sharp teeth and claws. Kix lightly bit her wrist, his claws biting into her skin before he settle down and allowed her to pat him.

„You should probably stop touching them so much,“ Rex said as he walked into the room, the cats that were Fives and Jesse trailing behind him.   
They were already starting to suspect that exposure seemed to be key in regards to who was turned into a cat, and Ahsoka wasn't even looking out for herself in that regard.  
Prooving just how little she cared, Ahsoka reached down and plucked both Jesse and Fives off of the ground to add them to her cat pile.  
Both of them seemed confused at first but relaxed as soon as Ahsoka started to pat them too.

Hardcase and Kix had returned to their little grooming ritual and Rex rubbed his forehead.  
„You wanna be any more obvious?“ he hissed at the grey and black cats who stared at him as if saying, _'I don't get you man'_.

He tried shooing the cats away from each other, which only ended in him getting scratched by Kix and Hardcase looking sad somehow.  
„You don't need to do that,“ Ahsoka said absendminded, Jesse resting in her lap and being fluffed up to the limit as he purred and purred while being patted, „I already knew about them.“  
Rex looked positively shocked. „You did?!“  
„Sure,“ Ahsoka shrugged, „those two aren't exactly subtle.“  
Kix grumbled and Hardcase somehow managed to look guilty, while Rex rubbed his temples; he was feeling a headache come on.

Something poked his arm and he looked back at Fives who was butting his head against his arm.  
Rex sighed and started to stroke his hand down the grey cats back, running his hands through that long fur.  
„If we are cats too tomorrow I will throttel you,“ he grumbled, and Ahsoka snorted, „You can try.“


	20. "did I ask?"

"Menstrual fluid consists of blood from the uterus and parts of the uterine lining," Kix rambled not paying attention to the fact that everyone in earshot was giving him a thoroughly disgusted look.  
"Aha," Fives, who sat next to him, said while tiredly rubbing his forehead, "very interesting Kix."  
"Interesting?" Tup hissed repulsed, "the kriff's the matter with him?!" 

"He's sleep deprived," Fives sighed, running a hand through his hair before putting his hand down on Kix' shoulder. Kix startled and looked back at him with owlish confusion.  
"Kix. Did you also know that you are way more likely to die from sleep deprivation than from starvation?" 

A second then Kix shook himself out of whatever thoughts he'd just been in.  
"Of course I know that," he huffed, looking at Fives as if he had just now noticed him being there.  
"Then don't you think you should be heading off to bed?" Fives asked, brows raised as he pointed at where the barracks were in relation to the rec room. 

Kix eyes darted from Fives to Tup and back again.  
"I still need to discuss those supplie orders with Baldria," he said, jumping to his feet -which had him sway momentarily- before he was off and out the door.  
"For the love of..." Fives huffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't worry I'll catch him," he assured Tup before he went after their loose medic.

It didn't take long for him to catch up to Kix, probably because he had just sat down in the middle of the hallway.  
"Kix?" Fives asked, croaching down before the medic.  
"I really don't wanna sleep," Kix said, while rubbing his eyes.  
"Well, you'll need to," Fives said astonished.  
He tilted his head and took in the dark circles under Kix eyes that made him look like he had been involved in some kind of brawl. He was pale, and his eyes were glassy and unfocused. 

"What's going on?" Fives asked because this was unusual for Kix. Sure his sleeping habits were even worse than the rest of them but not this bad.  
"I can't freking sleep, that's what's going on," Kix snapped forcefully, looking back at Fives with a fire lit behind his eyes as he seened to finally hit his breaking point.  
"What do you mean you can't sleep?"  
"I mean what I said," kix huffed in exertion, "I can't freking sleep. There are voices and screams and blood and bodys when I try and- I just can't. I can't sleep." 

Fives paused for a long moment, taking that in and thinking of a solution. In the end he could only come up with one thing.  
"Come on," he said and pulled Kix to his feet. Kix grumbled under his breath but followed behind him, who pulled him towards the medbay.  
It was testiment to how run down Kix was that he didn't even protest once Fives revealed what his idea was, as he asked Zulu to sedate Kix.

Usually Kix hated sedatives and would rather do anything else but be put under. Now however he didn't seem to care one bit. He did however ask Fives to stay with him once Zulu put a vial of sedatives into his medical dispenser.  
"Sure," Fives nodded.  
They settled into one of the vacant beds of the infirmary, Fives sitting back against the headboard with Kix' head in his lap, the medic curled in on himself.

"Zulu called me and told me what happened," Rex said about an hour later when he came to look in on them. He had crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow, in between amusement and annoyance.  
"What's the matter with him?" He asked, touching a hand to Kix shoulder. And that showed just how good the sedatives were working as Kix didn't even stir, not even a flicker of his eyelids.

"He said he couldn't sleep," Fives shrugged, still stroking his hands down Kix' back absendminded, "talked about voices, people; blood and guts," he shrugged, "I think he was having pretty bad nightmares."  
And with everything they were confronted with on a daily basis who could blame him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know the stuff Kix rambled on about, the menstrual fluids and stuff, was taken straight out of coldmirrors harry potter spoof 'Harry Potter und ein Stein', and was what Hermione told Harry right before the first quidditch match.


	21. "this, this is what makes it all worth it"

Overall their relationship had a lot of ups and downs. It wasn't as smooth sailing as Rex and Ahsoka's or Hardcase and Kix' but it was far from the dumpster fire that Jesse and Fives' relationship was at times.  
From Hevy being on deployment for months on end to Echo burning himself out as he studied for his degree.

Sometimes when Hevy was gone it would be utterly radio silence for the duration of his deployment as Echo threw himself into uni work to distract himself. When Hevy was back home this would sometimes continue, or Hevy would close himself off and refuse to talk about whatever it was that was on his mind.  
The fact that he would also rather talk to Kix, who was on deployment with him most of the time, also didn't help matters.

„I really don't get why you won't just talk to him about it,“ Kix said after one of his talks with Hevy, „it's not like he wouldn't understand.“  
Hevy shook his head, looking down at his drink with a gloomy expression.  
„He has enough on his plate. What with his thesis paper and all.“

What he didn't knew however was that Kix had had enough of it all and ratted him out to Echo.  
He should've probably noticed as Echo was decidedly more affectionate all week and didn't even head off to the library on saturday, saying that he had finished all of his research that he needed to do.  
„I'm not complaining at all,“ Hevy said warily as Echo suggested they just stay in for the night and watch some tv, „but what brought this on?“  
„To be completely honest,“ Echo sighed, turning the volume on the tv down because Gordon Ramsey yelling at chefs wasn't exactly the best backdrop for what he wanted to talk about, „Kix talked to me. About how the radio silence during your deployment really hurt you and all.“

Hevy groaned and rubbed his head, leaning foreward to rest his face in his hands.  
„Why does he always have to play Dr. Love?“ he asked, more to himself than to Echo.  
Echo snorted a small chuckle and pulled Hevy closer against himself.  
„I would really like to know why you didn't tell me that yourself,“ he said quietly into Hevy's ear, who collapsed in on himself.  
„You know I didn't mean to,“ Echo said, pulling him closer again, „it was just because of the thesis and-“  
„I know that,“ Hevy mumbled, refusing to look at Echo, „it's just that... I don't know. All of them got their mail and their phone calls and there was nothing coming from you. And this,“ he motioned between them, „this is what makes it all worth it and-“

He fell silent and just stared down at his hands.  
„I'm sorry, okay,“ Echo said, his hand running up and down Hevy's shoulder, „to be honest I intentionally did more work then usuall because I couldn't quite stand the thought of you being gone for so long.“  
That finally managed to have Hevy look back up at him. „You did?“ he asked surprised and went back to look down at his hands.  
„I'm sorry,“ Echo said, taking a hold of Hevy's hand and squeezing it tightly, „I should've thought about what this would do to you.“ Hevy nodded. 

They ended up talking for hours, about how they could make it all work and how it wouldn't be like that with Hevy's next deployment.  
They managed to come up with a game plan of trying to write back and forth and of at least calling as often as Hevy could manage, and the next goodbye wasn't even as bad as the last one.  
At first Echo didn't quite knew what he should write Hevy about, and finally settled with just writing whatever would come to mind, Hevy doing the same. And they would do the same with the phone calls.

It all changed with Hevy's sisters christmas present.  
Hevy had always liked guinea pigs but his mother disliked small rodents, so he had never been able to have them. Now however his sister argued that Hevy had moved out and Echo didn't mind looking after the pigs when Hevy was gone.  
It was one male and two females that Hevy excitedly called Dewey, Sidney and Gale.

From there on out Echo always knew what he should be writing about, he even included photographs of the piggies.  
„You know, sometimes I get the feeling that you like the pigs more than you like me,“ Echo fake grumbled as the first thing Hevy asked about during their phone call was the guinea pigs.  
„You know I love you, they don't because I've been gone for so long,“ Hevy argued with an amused undertone to his voice, „And you are sure Gale isn't pregnant?“  
„Your sister is ademant that they told her at the store that dewey was castrated,“ Echo said, „Nothing about me graduating?“ 

„Echo,“ Hevy groaned and Echo could tell that he was rolling his eyes.  
There was a knocking at the door.  
„You should probably get that,“ Hevy said and Echo could feel anger rise up in himself, even though he knew that it was irrational.  
„Yeah yeah,“ Echo grumbled, dragging his feet over to the door, „cares about the damn guinea pigs but not about me.“

He opened the door and stopped short as he stared back at Hevy, who sprouted a shit eating grin.  
„You are so jealous,“ he said airily, pressing a kiss to Echo's cheek before he shouldered past him. „What-“ Echo stammered utterly steamrolled, „What are you doing here?“  
„I lied about the deployment being six months long,“ Hevy grinned, putting his duffle bag down on the couch. He was still grinning when he turned back to Echo, arms crossed in front of his chest.  
„Did you really think I would miss your graduation?“

Hevy was left laughing as Echo threw himself at him, crushing him against himself in a desperate hug.  
„I love you,“ he said, not even noticing what he was saying, „I love you.“  
„I love you too,“ Hevy said, his face pressed to Echo's shoulder.  
When Echo finally let him go again Hevy was smiling at him with a spark in his eyes. „Plus, I am pretty sure that Gale is pregnant.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hevy's sister is Cutup in this chapter. Don't ask me why, I just liked that idea.


	22. "and neither should you"

„You shouldn't be going down there,“ Senson whispered as Hardcase was about to head down the stairs of their apartment complex.  
„Do you want your ball back now or what?“ Hardcase asked with a raised brow, but Senson only shuffled his feet, clasping his hands in front of himself.  
They'd been practicing throwing a baseball out in the hallway, which admittedly wasn't that good of an idea. And that apparently not only because they had tossed the ball down the stairs.

„You don't want to go down there, so I'll have to,“ Hardcase argued.  
„And neither should you,“ Senson reitterated, „don't you know about Creepy Joe.“  
„Creepy Joe?“ Hardcase asked confused.  
Senson nodded his head furiously. „The guy in the first appartment on the left on the floor below. Mirek said he heard howling and growling come from his apartment on two full moon nights.“  
Hardcase's face was blank. „Doesn't he have a dog?“  
„That's the thing,“ Senson insisted, „he doesn't.“

Hardcase nodded again. „Aha,“ he sighed, „But it isn't full moon and it's the middle of the day.“  
But it was still fall, which was why everything turned pretty dark when Hardcase went down the stairs and the lights suddenly went out on him. He missed a stair and went down three more before he could steady himself.  
„Dad!“ Senson yelled from up the stairs sounding utterly frightened.   
„I'm okay,“ Hardcase yelled back, „just missed a couple of stairs.“

He spend a few moments just sitting on the stairs until his eyes adjusted to the darkness, when they finally did he flinched back as he saw the outlines of a person right in front of him.   
„What the fuck,“ he gasped and he heard footsteps running down the hallway up above.   
„Hardcase?“ the shape asked and Hardcase felt the panic dissipate instantly.  
„Kix,“ he breathed, „you scared the living daylights out of me.“

He saw the Kix shape nodd and then a smaller shape that was standing next to Kix' leg.  
Kix had been at the doctors office with Mirek that afternoon, Mirek who was now holding the wayward baseball out to him.

„What's with him?“ Kix asked once they made it up the stairs and down the hall to their apartment in the dark, as he saw Senson hug the doorframe for dear life and stare at them with huge frightened eyes.  
„Creepy Joe,“ Hardcase said and Kix couldn't help but chuckle.  
„Do you always have to scare your brother?“ he asked turned at Mirek, who shook his head furiously.  
„I didn't scare him, I really heard that howling.“

It turned out Creepy Joe was actually named Hevy, and for some reason he and his boyfriend Echo got into quite some kinky shit on full moon.


	23. "do we have to?"

The only one that Kix knew who took the death of trooper close to them that hard was himself when he was being honest.   
He didn't even think that Fives reacted this way after the whole thing on the rishi outpost, even though he and Echo lost all of their unit. Maybe he'd been able to hold it together because he still had Echo left, but now? Now that Echo was gone Fives was visibly slipping.

So much so that Jesse came to him after the last battle, telling him how he had seen Fives just walking towards open fire, not even trying to dodge any of the plasma.  
„I will talk to him,“ Kix had said, after making sure that he'd been the only one Jesse had told about this.

It still took some talking and ultimately Kix had to threaten Fives with going to the captain about it to have him stay with him in the infirmary.  
„It really isn't that bad,“ Fives argued once he had taken off his top armor and body suit.  
Truthfully Fives was right, the hit was a clean through and through and had missed everything vital but Kix couldn't turn a blind eye on the fact that Fives had walked straight towards enemy fire.  
„Jesse didn't see it right,“ Fives argued once Kix told him as much.  
„Aha,“ Kix said, brows raised and looking thoroughly unconvinced.

They stayed in companiable silence as Kix applied bakta gauze to the wound and bandaged it up.  
„You know, you really should talk to someone about this,“ he said absendminded.  
„Do we have to?“ Fives grumbled and Kix couldn't help but chuckle.  
„It's either with me or with the captain, it's your choice.“  
They fell back into silence and Kix left it at that until he was pleased with Fives' bandages.

„So?“ he asked as Fives pulled his body suit top back on, albeit a bit clumsily, „who's your pick?“  
„Do I have to decide now?“ Fives asked, still looking like a damn kicked puppy.   
Kix shrugged. „Would this time to consider really make that much of a difference?“  
Fives shrugged as well. There was a moment in which they just stared at each other, and Kix thought for sure Fives would tell him he'll talk to Rex and be off, before Fives suddenly reached out to him and grabbed him around the middle.  
„Get your clothes off,“ Fives said, his voice suddenly husky and rumbling deep in his chest.  
Kix was honestly quite surprised with this sudden change of plans. 

„Are you ordering me?“ he asked, managing to recover quickly.  
„Do I have to?“ Fives inquired.   
Kix sighed as Fives hands went for his hips and as he felt Fives' fingers push beneath the top of his grey uniform. „Fives. What are you doing?“  
„I'm trying to get over him,“ Fives whispered, head leaned foreward so far that their foreheads were nearly touching. 

Fives didn't need to specify who 'he' was, Kix knew that he was talking about Echo.  
„Listen Fives,“ Kix started, but broke off as Fives hands made contact with skin, „If you need someone to talk you down, tell you that you're just acting irrational and you don't really want this, I'm really not the person you need right now.“  
„Yes you are,“ Fives breathed, head leaned foreward so far that he could mouth at Kix' neck, „You are exactly the person I need right now.“


	24. "are you kidding me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the first time I try something of an A/B/O AU and a bit of dub-con so be gentle and proceed with caution.

As far as Hevy knew all of them were betas. The only one that had a smell that he couldn't quite classify as a beta was 99 and, well, that might be for another reason entirely.  
Echo smelled differently sometimes too but Hevy had never payed close enough attention to it to really notice it. That was until now. 

"What the-" Hevy swore as he was suddenly roughtly grabbed from behind and pulled into a supplie closet.  
"Okay," he chuckled breathlessly as he was pushed up against the wall and able to see that it had been Echo who had pulled him into the supplie closet. "What's the meaning of this?" 

"Just shut up," Echo growled. Which was freking unusuall for him, Echo didn't growl.  
Hevy tried pushing him off but Echo snarled and pushed him back up against the wall, holding him there with his whole body weight.  
"What the-" Hevy snapped, trying again to get Echo off of him. Which only resulted in Echo pushing against him even more and hevy could now feel how echo was destinctively pushing his hips against his thigh. 

"Are you freking kidding me?" Hevy huffed, not quite amused and not quite indignant either.  
"I'm not a kid so I can't kid you," Echo huffed, the movement of his hips not stopping.  
"We are literally twelve," Hevy shot back.  
Echo snorted, not really listening to what hevy was saying anymore in favor of thrusting against his leg.  
That's when it hit Hevy, the smell he had never been able to place. Echo smelled so strongly of wood and some cytrus that it was almost overpowering.

„You're in rut,“ Hevy said matter-of-factly.  
“I'm not in rut,” Echo huffed, but his hips started rolling again anyways.  
“Mhm,” Hevy hummed unconvinced, „that's why you are rubbing off against me. Because you are not in rut.“

Echo growled again, biting down on the exposed side of his neck and before Hevy knew what was happening Echo had forcefully turned him around and was shoving him up against the wall.   
He pulled down Hevy's pants, then his own and then he was pushing into him. No lube, no prep, no nothing.  
There was a brieve struggle until Hevy realised that it was to no use, and he just took it.   
Good thing about it was that Echo was too far gone into his rut for it to even take that long.

Afterwards they both hurried to get their clothes back into place, which left them both in uncomfortable silence.  
„We really shouldn't make a big deal out of it,“ Echo mumbled, rubbing a hand down his face, „I mean, things like this happen all the time.“  
„Sure, all the time,“ Hevy snorted.  
„It's not like I want you to be my mate or anything,“ Echo continued, and Hevy nodded.  
„Sure you don't.“  
„It's not like this shit is forcing me to follow your scent.“  
„What!“  
„What?“

They stared at each other for a long, loaded moment, taking in what had just been said.  
„You were following my scent?“ Hevy asked astonished as way of breaking the silence.  
„Never mind,“ Echo huffed, trying to push past him and out the door but Hevy refused to let him pass. Echo having lost some of his rut high had put them back on more even ground.  
„Oh, no no no,“ Hevy chuckled, holding Echo back with a hand placed in the center of Echo's chest.  
„I just got fucked because of your damn rut so you are gonna tell me what the krif is going on.“  
Echo shifted around, and hem and hawed until he finally spoke again.   
„It's like I said,“ he said, rubbing his forehead, „this damn rut is making me go after you.“

„I have no idea why,“ he said before Hevy could even ask the question, apparently his brows that were furrowed in confusion were more then enough for him to go by.   
Hevy nodded, not even realising how his hand was moving from the center of Echo's chest up to his shoulder. Must be his damn smell.  
„And here I thought beta smell was supposed to calm you guys down,“ he said lowly, his hand at the back of Echo's neck slowly pulling the other towards him until their foreheads were touching.   
There was a shudder going through Echo's body and Hevy was pushed up against the wall again. 

„What are you doing?“ Echo asked, voice low and husky.  
He heard a snort and felt how Hevy's mouth pulled into a smile.  
„Kinda exhilerating to be wanted like that,“ he said before slanting their lips back together.


	25. "sometimes you can even see"

Kix moved through the darkened apartment, following the sound of a woman talking until he found the source of it in the nursery.  
"Sometimes you can even see," the woman said before Kix paused the youtube video that was playing on Hardcase's phone. Hardcase who was laying in the twins crib with both of the boys cuddled up to his chest.  
"Hardcase," Kix hissed, trying to rose his husband without waking up the twins. Hardcase mumbled in his sleep but didn't fully wake up. "Hardcase," kix said again, louder this time while shaking his shoulder. 

Hardcase gave a start and his eyes flew open.  
"Wha-" he said groggily, "Kix?"  
"Did you expect someone else?" Kix chuckled, "what are you doing."  
Hardcase rubbed at his eyes before puffing out a big sigh. "They wouldn't stop ct´rying so I climbed in here to make them stop and then," he raised his arms to indicate the two toddlers stuck to his chest, "they won't let me leave." 

Kix stiffled a laugh and instead helped Hardcase to rearrange the twins in a way that he was able to climb back out of the crib. He got caught half way out and instead fell face first to the ground, both of them flinching at the loud thud, but the twins slept on.

"We could start world war three and they would just sleep through it," Hardcase whispered, taking Kix' hands that the EMT offered him to pull him upright again.  
"Or we could, you know," Kix said and wiggled his eyebrows seductively. And Hardcase would be lying if he said that he wasn't interested at all.  
"You sure?" he asked, throwing a glance over his shoulder to make sure that the twins were still asleep.  
"Like you said," kix said, leaning closer until he could purr into his ear, "we could start world war three."

They stayed locked at the lips and tightly entwined until they made it to the bedroom. Well, Kix still wouldn't let go of him and it took them a hot minute to be able to divest them both of their clothing.  
Kix took his sweet time, taking Hardcase appart as if they had all the time in the world. And the way the twins were sleeping they might as well have it.   
It seemed to take an eternity but it was only half an hour, at least when Hardcase checked the clock after. 

It took a bit (read: a lot) of convincing on Hardcase's part to keep Kix from just going to sleep then and there, no clean up or anything. And it took even more convincing to get him to put on some clothes for the night, but Hardcase citing his spleen situation managed to do the trick. But that might only be because Kix was tired of hearing it.

In the end though Kix was glad for the fact that Hardcase had been so persistent as he was poked awake in the middle of the night. 

Kix was still halfway asleep when he turned on the bedside lamp and focused bleary eyes on Senson, who stood there rubbing his eyes with his left hand while he clutched his plush whale to his chest with his right one.   
Kix only had one moment to try and piece together was Senson was doing there when he heard a thudding noise and then something hitting the floor. Truth be told he had expected some type of intruder and not his blind son having walked into the doorframe, which was why Kix went bolting out of bed, forgetting about Senson entirely as his instincts to protect his family took over.

"Mirek, what are you doing here?" Kix asked, croaching down to make sure that Mirek hadn't seriously hurt himself.  
"Dad was gone," Mirek mumbled as way of explanation, rubbing his left eye and clutching his plushy octopus with his right.  
Kix heard a faint chuckle from the bed and when he turned towards the sound it revealed Hardcase, who had pulled Senson up onto the bed.  
"You two are some escape artists, alright," Kix snorted, shaking his head before grabbing Mirek and lifting him up into his arms.  
He did a quick detour to the bathroom to make sure that Mirek hadn't seriously hurt himself. A small bump on the forehead that had turned a bit red but appart from that the toddler looked fine. 

"You two," Kix couldn't help but say again in amusement as he layed Mirek down next to his brother, in between Hardcase and himself.  
"But at least they slept through world war three," he mumbled while laying back down again, which caused Hardcase to bust out laughing.  
Senson didn't even register it as he had fallen right back asleep, while Mirek scrunched up his face, pushing his head further into the pillow to drown out his fathers noises. 

Kix stiffled a chuckle himself, leaned over and kissed Hardcase goodnight, stroking a hand down Senson's and then Mirek's back.  
The lights were turned back off again and the whole family went back to sleep, and if world war three did in indeed start that night none of them heard it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's another chapter with the kids. What can I say I love writing this little family :)


	26. "how about you trust me for once"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the fruits of me watching too much 'get him to the greek' and Jenna Marbles videos in the last couple of days.

„How about you trust me for once,“ Fives groaned and Kix sighed.   
„I never said that I didn't trust you,“ he said annoyed, which ellected a snort from Fives.  
„What about last month?“ he asked and Kix was sure he had put his hands onto his hips, even though he couldn't see him.

„I don't think that's that good of an example,“ Kix said, „you made me drink that Cathar stuff after all and I had a heart attack.“  
„You didn't have a heart attack, Kix,“ Fives exclaimed.  
This had been a topic of discussion between them ever since it had all taken place. Fives was ademant that Kix had been plastered as krif and overreacting, while Kix was sure that he had had a heart attack.  
„You know,“ Fives said, laying a hand onto his shoulder, „let's not get into that again. So you do trust me?“  
„Yes,“ Kix said, still holding the clippers out to Fives, „will you finally get on with it?“

Hesitantly Fives took the tool from the medic and turned to look at the back of his head. The outlines of the lightning patterns were still visible even though Kix' hair had partially grown over it.   
Usually it was either Hardcase, Jesse or Kix himself who did his hair. However their last mission had left both Jesse and Hardcase in the infirmary and Kix with a broken arm, leaving Fives as the only one Kix entrusted with his hair.

„Just do it,“ Kix urged after Fives still didn't start with his task, „I won't kill you even if you mess up. I can't see the back of my head after all.“  
Fives nodded but didn't really know if he believed what Kix said. Sure, he had noticed that the lightning patterns were sometimes a bit crooked but the only one that seemed to happen to was Hardcase and Kix let him get away with pretty much everything.  
In the end Kix impatiently thrumming his fingers on his cast spurred Fives into action. 

He didn't knew how long it took him, he was way too focused on the patterns and on getting them just right, and in the end he had the feeling as if he had spend hours on Kix' hair when it had probably only been fifteen minutes tops.

„It's good,“ Kix said once Fives told him he was finished and showed him the fruit of his work, „I don't know why you were this nervous about it. You are good with your hands after all.“  
Kix turned his head and smiled back at him, his brows raised in a seductive manner, which made Fives remember something.   
„Oh no,“ he said, holding up his hands and backing away from Kix, who stood from the chair he'd been sitting in to frown at him, „the last time I trusted you you fucked me three times in a row!“  
It took a moment but then Kix threw his head back and laughed.  
„You weren't complaining at the time,“ he chuckled, stepping closer and grabbing Fives' hip with his good hand.

„I didn't really have the time,“ Fives said, not really able to stop a smile from spreading onto his face, especially with Kix' thumb rubbing circles into his hipbone.  
Kix hummed in agreement, leaning foreward to brush their lips together.  
„Thanks for the haircut.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I've been inactive the last couple of days. Let's just say there have been some new developments concerning my health and leave it at that.


	27. "give me that"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And again, too much 'get hi to the greek'.

It had to have been Hardcase's idea. Who else would've thought that going to a karaoke bar with a bunch of first responders and marines was a good idea?  
Good thing that this bar wasn't opposed to getting their patrons as wasted as they humanly could.

„I love Echo. You know. I love Echo,“ Hevy mumbled to himself, or to the bottle of beer in his hand Tup wasn't too sure.   
His attention was diverted however as Kix started yelling at Fives about how he was having a heart attack and why the fuck did he give him a Jeffrey. Whatever that was?  
The ensuing commotion kept Tup, Jesse and Denal occupied enough that he didn't even realize that Hevy was heading for the stage, where Fives was currently butchering ABBA, to the mounting displeasure of Ahsoka.

„Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight, won't somebody help me chase the shadows away--“  
„Give me that!“ Hevy snapped, grabbing the microphone and shoving Fives off the stage.  
„Yes. Finally!“ Ahsoka cheered, before clapping like a retarded seal as Hevy called Echo onto the stage.

Echo, who was maybe not as drunk as Hevy, Kix or Cody but who was well on his way there, what with the way he was stupidly grinning at Hevy.  
The bar quieted down once they all realized that Hevy was drunkenly and very poorly asking Echo to marry him. He nearly fell flat on his face trying to get down onto one knee, and in the end he had to hold onto Echo's belt to hold himself upright.   
Even more shocking was the fact that Echo accepted.

Well, most of them put that down to him being just way too drunk and many of them forgot about the whole thing after they had sobered up the next day. At least until they got wedding invitations in their mail two weeks later.  
„Don't you think you are rushing things?“ Fives kept asking Echo, who didn't want to hear any of it, while Hevy's sister wasn't helping matters at all as she insisted the wedding be at the end of the next month.   
„Why?“ Fives hissed at her after an anewed fight about the whole thing.  
„Because, and our parents agree with me,“ Cutup snapped back, „better later than never.“


	28. "do I have to do everything here?"

It had been another long, rough day in a series of long and rough days. Fives' eyes slid shut again and he started tilting to the side.  
„Fives!“ He jerked back up straight at Kix' snap. „Yep, yeah, 'm here.“  
„I said stay awake. You have a severe concussion,“ Kix hissed.  
Fives looked at him with a raised brow and weak snorted laugh. „Kix, you can't really lecture me with your lazaration and three cracked ribs.“  
„I can and I will,“ Kix huffed, „And believe me, I'll make your concussion worse if you do not listen to me- HARDCASE, SIT DOWN!“

The guilty clone froze, slinking back to the stretcher he had snuck off of and sat down innocently.  
Kix wasn't in the mood for any of this, and now it was best to just do as he ordered.  
Given that the medic had spent the better part of the night patching everyone but himself up, now it was a good time to just listen.  
Which showed as Ahsoka also followed Hardcase's example and sat back down, while Tup let his head settle back against the stretcher and Rex exchanged a meaningfull glance with Echo.  
„Do I have to do everything around here?“ they heard Kix hiss before he stormed off, only to come back moments later with Stitch and Zulu in toe and get back to work. 

Two hours later there was still no end in sight. And while most of them could at least take a rest because of their injuries, Kix was still running around as if he was on drugs.   
Hardcase had already started to think that he would give him ten more minutes before he would intervene when Ahsoka sat down next to him.   
„Talk to him for a moment and I'll knock him out.“ 

And the way Kix' pupils were pinned and his eyes wouldn't focus on him as Hardcase talked to him evaporated any and all guilt he felt over helping their commander knock Kix out; because he wouldn't have listened to him anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I ran out of ideas here.


	29. "back up!"

It took a few days for Fives to realize that Rex had been right in his assessment that he was still grieving the loss of Echo.  
Being on the battlefield and not even realizing that he was walking towards freking enemy fire and not averting it was his last and loudest hint. Well, Kix grabbing the back of his armor while yelling, „back up!“ and pulling him out of harms way before taking a hit that was meant for him was what put it into perspective.

„Hells,“ Fives cursed as he pushed himself up on his ellbows and saw Kix laying on the ground, clutching his side.  
„Why didn't you move out of the way?“ Kix yelled, pushing himself backwards.  
Without thinking twice Fives rushed over and took a hold of Kix' shoulders, pulling him backwards until they could croach down behind a rather large piece of rubble.  
„You alright?“ Fives asked, reaching down towards Kix' side but the medic smacked his hand away.

„Don't!“ he hissed, taking off his helmet and pushing himself back against the brick.   
„Kix-“   
„What were you doing!“ Kix yelled, his hand still pressed onto the wound at his side, „Walking towards enemy fire like that, are you insane?!“  
„How bad is it now?“ Fives asked, instead of answering his question, pointing at Kix' side.   
„Hit nothing vital,“ Kix ground out, while using one shaking hand to open the latches on his chest armor.   
„Let-“ Fives reached out again but Kix only swatted his hand away.   
„Force, just let me-“ Fives snapped and moved foreward to help Kix get his armor out of the way quicker.

Meanwhile Kix rummaged through his backpack, taking out two batches of gauze and a bandage.   
„We're gonna need to talk about that,“ Kix huffed, leaning foreward as Fives wrapped the bandage around his abdomen while he held the gauze to the wound. „What youre doing. That's insane...“  
His voice trailed off a bit, and he swayed foreward.   
„Hey!“ Fives cursed, pushing Kix back to lean against the brick, „You said it didn't hit anything vital.“  
„Bloodloss,“ Kix huffed out, blinking his eyes back open forcefully. 

Fives had hoped he could avoid the threatened talk with Kix, seeing as the medic still had a blaster wound in his abdomen to deal with. But that wasn't going to stop Kix apparently, as he cornered him in a corridor and pushed him into a adjoined supply-room.   
„The kriff was that Fives, huh? An attempt to hang yourself from the chain?“   
He looked into his eyes, and Fives noticed that Kix was still a tad too pale.   
„You told me you were okay,“ he said, pushing his hand against Fives' chest, holding him against the wall.  
„I am,“ Fives said, but he couldn't even convince himself of what he was saying anymore. 

He slumped down onto one of the crates littering the rooms floor and buried his face in his hands.   
Kix sighed, rubbing a hand down his face, then pulling a barrel a little closer, to sit down himself. Fives pulled in a sharp breath as Kix' hand came to rest on his shoulder.   
„What's going on with you Fives? Huh.“   
He tilted his head, trying to get a closer look at Fives' face, even though the ARC was still rubbing his hands over his eyes. „Come on, tell me.“  
Fives exhaled slowly, trying to get his bearings back. His voice shook as he tried to speak.   
„I-“ he broke off, shocked to hear himself this weak, but then again, Kix of all people didn't really care. „I just can't stand this anymore,“ he pressed out, „I just want him back.“

„Force, Fives,“ Kix huffed, tilting his head back in exasperation, „That's what it's all been about. You know as best as I do that this,“ he pointed at where he had been shot, „won't bring Echo back. And it's damn sure not what he'd have wanted.“   
Fives eyed him wearily, his brows knitting together. „What ever you think to know-“  
„I don't just think I know. I know,“ Kix said, the grip he had on his shoulder increasing, „Fives, do you really thing that Echo was feeling any different after Rishi? What with Hevy and all?“

„How do you even know that?“ Fives mumbled stunned.   
Echo and Kix hadn't exactly been close, so he couldn't have gotten it from Echo. Or could he?  
„You aren't the first one that's given me a hard time,“ Kix shrugged. „Echo... His grief got so bad that it made him see things.“

„I didn't notice,“ Fives mumbled, his hands finding their way back over his face.   
„He was good at hiding it,“ Kix said, his hand wandering from Fives' shoulder to the back of his neck. He grabbed him there, pushing until Fives lifted his gaze to look at him.   
„It's no good hanging onto someone who's dead,“ he said calmly, „I watched it nearly destroy Echo and I won't just lean back and watch you do the same.“  
Fives found himself nodding.   
„And I know I can't replace him,“ Kix said, pulling him foreward by the back of his neck until he could rest their foreheads together, „I'll just try and be as good a replacement as I can be, huh...“ he hummed.

„You aren't a replacement,“ Fives disagreed, shaking his head lightly, „Never a replacement.“  
Kix chuckled, a genuin smile spreading over his face.   
„You say such nice things,“ he hummed, leaning in closer and brushing his lips over Fives', „Trying to make up for that blaster shot that ripped through my abdomen?“  
Fives' hand came up to rest on Kix injured side.   
„I'm sorry about that,“ he murmured, pulling Kix closer until the medic couldn't manage to sit on his barrel anymore, but was nearly sitting on Fives' lap instead, „Let me make it up to you.“  
He felt Kix smile against his lips, running his hands down Fives' back as he pulled the medic even closer.   
„You always were persuasive,“ Kix hummed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was planned as an alone standing fic but that has been sitting on my laptop for three years now, unfinished, so why not used some of it. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	30. "just say it"

Putting both their clothes back into place left them in uncomfortable silence.  
„We really shouldn't make a big deal out of it,“ Hevy mumbled, pacing the room with ill-contained energy, „I mean, things like this happen all the time.“  
„All the time,“ Echo agreed.  
„It's no big deal,“ Hevy nodded.  
„No big deal,“ Echo repeated.  
Hevy growled. „Okay, you gotta stop repeating everything I say.“   
Echo nodded. „No more repeating.“

Hevy sighed, comping his hands through his hair.   
„Look Echo,“ he said, stepping up to the other, „What happened last night was a beautiful mistake. But I think it's best if we return back to normal.“  
Echo nodded again. „I totally agree.“  
Hevy smiled. „Well then, lets go catch some sleep.“   
He turned around, starting towards the door. 

_Wait!_ A little voice in the back of Echo's head hissed, _What the frek do you think you're doing. You're crazy about Hevy and now you just wanna let him go? If you do that I won't let you sleep all night!_

„Wait Hevy!“ Echo scrambled to catch up to him. Hevy stopped, turning back to him and Echo started stammering, „Look, I just... I... erm!“  
Hevy chuckled, „Frek Echo, just say it. Say: 'Fuck sleep and instead have sex the whole night!'“  
Echo just starred at him for a few seconds, then he shurgged and nodded. „Yeah, let's do that!“  
Hevy snorted. „I can't belive you nearly let me leave,“ he moved close against him, pushing Echo up against the wall. „I'll make you pay for that.“  
„Oh, I'm totally down with that,“ Echo huffed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And "hello" again from 'Scrubs'.


	31. "I trust you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said chapter 31 would be whatever would strike my fancy, and for some reason this did.   
> Sorry this didn't come sooner, work and school were being a bitch.

Ahsoka didn't knew how this could've happened, they were so carefull.  
Well no, she knew exactly that it happened because they hadn't been carefull at all but merely behaving like a pair of horny teenagers. Which, quite frankly, they both had been. 

Four weeks ago she started to notice the first symptoms, feeling fatigued and nauseous, especially in the morning hours.   
At first she just assumed she had cought a stomach bug or something, even getting some medication that should ease her symptoms from the medics but the symptoms refused to subside.  
Then the mood swings started, while the nausea in the mornings would sometimes also raise it's head in the evening.   
To top it all of Kix seemed to have caught onto something around the same time that Ahsoka had to admit that she hadn't just caught a stomach bug. Kix seemed to not have believed that from the very beginning anyways. 

"For how long have you been feeling this sick?" Kix asked, as he layed a hand in between Ahsoka's shoulder blades after she had just thrown up on the battle field. It had to be her luck that she'd been searching for wounded with him.  
"A few weeks," she shrugged, wiping a hand over her mouth before nodding thankfully at the canteen Kix handed her. 

_There is only the force and no morning sickness_ , Ahsoka repeated her mantra mentally and cringed as she heard herself refer to it as 'morning sickness'.  
And she didn't seem to be the only one that had cought onto it.  
Kix hummed in acknowledgement at her statement before asking a bit more quietly, even though there was really no one around that could be eavesdropping, "And how far along are you?"  
Ahsoka bristled before the all knowing look in Kix' eyes made her clamp down.  
"Six weeks," she ground out to which Kix nodded.  
"I assume it's Rex'."  
That made Ahsoka stop dead in her tracks. 

"Of course," she hissed, surprising herself at how full of malice her voice was and how much her stomach roiled again.  
All Kix had to say to that was, "good" as he continued on his search for survivors not paying any further attention to her foul mood.  
"That's all," Ahsoka stammered, hurrying after him, "good!?"

Kix shrugged, while looking closer at his scanner, then shaking his head before he continuing on his way.  
"Does he know?" he asked after another bout of shared silence.  
"No," Ahsoka said immediately, "and I'd prefer that it stays that way."  
„Why?“ Kix asked. He had stopped and turned back to face her, his scanner forgotten in his lowered hand.   
There was that first instinct to lie again but it was squashed within a second. Firstly, Kix was too damn smart to not see through any of the lies she could come up with, and second, she assumed Kix wouldn't settle for anything but the truth.

„Because I haven't decided what to do just now,“ was what Ahsoka finally decided to say truthfully.  
And it was as if a great heavy weight had just been lifted from her chest. The fact that she had someone else who knew and who she could confide her deepest struggles to was comforting.  
Even though that person just looked as if she had kicked a kitten.   
„What do you mean you 'haven't decided'?“ Kix asked. Though he tried to keep his face schooled in a neutral expression Ahsoka could see the shock in his eyes.

„You know why I haven't decided yet,“ she found herself hissing heatedly.  
She had already thrown the 'no attachment'- and 'no emotional involvement'-rules straight out the window, the 'no relationships'-rule had been a bit harder but now also having a child was just way too much over her head. She had no idea what she should do.

It was a small shock to her as Kix suddenly spoke again. She'd been so deeply in thought that she had even forgotten where she was.  
„You have to tell him,“ Kix said, looking at her with an urging expression, „whatever you'll decide to do he should at least know about this.“  
Ahsoka found herself groaning, that was exactly the reason why she hadn't talked to anyone, and especially Kix for that matter, sooner, because they would make too much sense.

„You don't think he'll freak out?“ she asked later on, after they had turned back towards the company having only found two survivors.  
„Oh, I'm sure he will,“ Kix snorted, looking way too amused at her shocked expression. „What?“ he laughed, „that's not really a non-issue don't you think. Like, 'hey sweetie, just so you know, I'm pregnant. But that's no big deal, right, we'll just elope or something'.“  
Ahsoka shook her head and then hung it in defeat. Thankfully the two trooper they had found were unconscious and couldn't hear Kix.

They got back to camp and as soon as Kix had pushed the two wounded trooper off onto Zulu and Ferns he turned towards her again.   
„I'll go an get the captain.“  
„Wait!“ Ahsoka grabbed his wrist and held him back, „do you really think this is a good idea?“  
Kix' gaze softened as he looked at her and for a moment Ahsoka was able to see what Hardcase seemed to see in the medic. He really could look like a father if he wanted to. An exhausted father that was done with your crap and a second away from grounding you, but a concerned father no less.

„It's better than keeping it secret,“ Kix said, putting his other hand onto her shoulder and squeezing it comfortingly, „trust me, a secret pregnancy is a bad idea.“  
 _Yeah, and how would you know?_ , Ahsoka wanted to ask snarkily but didn't because she knew he was right.  
„I trust you,“ she said instead, letting go of Kix' wrist.  
„Just-“ she said again before Kix could turn around, „can you stay when I tell him? If he freaks out-“  
„If he should pass out you mean,“ Kix said nonchalantly.  
Ahsoka winced but nodded, she had no idea how Rex would react to news like this. Kix seemed to take it pretty well all things considering, but that might just be because he was a medic; or because Hardcase was so damn baby crazy.

Ahsoka flinched again as Kix touched her shoulder, damn her for being so much in her head today.  
„As long as you tell him that it's his child first, or he'll might think that's why you wanted me to be there. I don't feel like being decked today.“  
That made Ahsoka laugh, and feel genuinely lighthearted for the first time in weeks.  
She didn't think Rex would go as far as punch Kix on the spot but she also had to admit that her asking Kix to be around when she told Rex could look a bit suspicious for the captain.   
„No worries,“ she said, „I'll make sure he doesn't touch you.“


End file.
